Please Stay Off The Grass And Out of the Trees
by Laleanen
Summary: Mori/OC. Just who is the handsome young man in the window, and why does he have a chicken on his head?
1. 1: Strange Encounters

Well…this will be my first (published) fan fiction in a long while. For those of you who read it, I hope you enjoy it. My purpose for writing this is that I think all the host club members could use some character development outside of their club activities (e.g., regular class and other clubs, like Kendo club), and Mori just needs more screen time, period. Having said that, I am a big fan of romance (Ouran is a romantic comedy, after all) and because I believe that Haruhi belongs with Tamaki when all is said and done, I decided to create an Original Character for Mori. I've done my best to avoid Mary-Sueism, and this is in no way a self-insert. If you think all OC/established character pairings are Mary Sues and are determined to attack my authorial competence for producing a story centered on said pairing, you are welcome to leave, now. For all the rest of you, thank you for stopping by my humble little corner of the internet, and I hope you enjoy your stay.

* * *

A black town car, freshly waxed, pulled to a stop in front of the massive clock tower. The driver jumped out, checked his watch against the massive timepiece, and nodded to himself. They were early. He stepped around to the passenger door to let his esteemed employer, and his employer's daughter, out of the car. His employer was Kasuga Kyon, a well-traveled and wealthy Japanese ambassador, and this was his daughter's first day at a new high school. Kyon was a tall, robust man in his mid-forties, and his black hair was just starting to turn grey at the edges of his beard and temples. He boomed his approval when he set eyes on his daughter's new educational facility for the first time.

"Thank you, Max! We're here in plenty of time, don't you think so, Kana?" Kana stepped onto the sidewalk with much more hesitation than her father; her thick, brown hair curled around her shoulders, half-hiding her face and the freckles which dotted her nose. She was also so much smaller than her father it was comical; the top of her head barely reached his massive shoulders.

"This is a school?" Kana wondered, looking nervous. "It's so big…"

"Ouran High School. That's right. They are also an elementary and middle school." Kana's father beamed at her. "You'll be all right. We're only a week into the first semester, and you'll catch up quickly. I've already made arrangements with your teachers. I expect the atmosphere would be about the same as a foreign boarding school-"

Kana shuddered. "I hope not…."

"-With several improvements. You'll still get to live at home, sleep in your own bed…and it's co-ed." The gleam in his eye made Kana turn red.

"You aren't planning to marry me off already, are you?"

"At your age you should be spending time with young ladies _and _young men. You'll learn much more about people than at an all-girls school. And if you happen to meet someone in the process…"

"Father!"

He shrugged. "I'm only teasing. Well, half-teasing. I'll send a driver to bring you home when school is out."

"Thank you. I'll see you when I get home." She waved as he signaled the driver to depart, and glanced at her new school. She stamped her foot. "This year will be different!" With that announcement, which elicited a few strange looks and raised eyebrows from passing students, she began to ascend the gigantic marble stairway.

And promptly tripped over the hem of her uniform, spilling books everywhere.

_Or not._

* * *

"Rise! Bow!" The class president commanded as the teacher entered the room. Kana had not attended a Japanese school since her elementary years, but she had studied culture and habits extensively over the summer to be sure she did not commit any glaring faux pas. So far, so good. It felt nice to be back home. The teacher began calling role, and she attempted to make mental notes of all the students in her class, matching names with faces, just as her father taught her. She picked one or two identifying features about each of them and paired it with their name to help her remember. _Let's see…the girl with the longest hair is Miho. Long hair, Miho. The blond boy over there is Tamaki. Blonde, Tamaki…_Unfortunately, she nearly missed her own name being called.

"Kasuga Kana!"

"Let's see…the megane's name started with a…oh what was it…"

"_Kasuga Kana!_"

"Oh! Uhh…Here! Sorry!"

And promptly forgot every other name in the room. The teacher made her stand and bow to the class in greeting, and introduced her as the daughter of a Japanese ambassador who had been living at an American boarding school for the past five years. A few of the students exchanged glances, but they all seemed very polite and merely asked her a few questions about how she liked living abroad. She was relieved when she was allowed to sit down again, and all eyes turned away from her and back to the teacher.

The rest of class continued without incident until the lunch bell rang.

* * *

_Maybe lunch would be a good time to look around, get my bearings…find a quiet place where I can eat alone, and gather my thoughts…_

"Welcome to our class, Kasuga-san!" the boy who sat next to her greeted her with a pleasant smile and a bow. _Megane._ She thought automatically, but could not think of his name.

"Ah, yes, thank you!" She smiled and bowed in return.

"My name is Ootori Kyouya. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

_Megane, Kyouya. Megane, Kyouya. Got it._

"I understand that you have been studying abroad?"

"Huh? Oh, yes…in America."

"Because of your father's work?"

"Yes. He's an ambassador…"

"I see! I'll bet you've had many opportunities to travel." Kyouya smiled again, the same pleasant, polite smile, but Kana thought that his glasses glinted rather creepily.

"Mom! Are you coming?" the blond boy Kana had noticed earlier was calling in their direction.

"_Mom"? What-_

Kyouya's eyebrow twitched, and he turned around slowly. "I'll be…right along…_Tamaki._"

Tamaki looked as though Kyouya had called him something very cruel, and clutched his hands to his chest. "Mom! Have I done something to make you angry with me?"

Kyouya was about to respond when Tamaki noticed Kana. His entire countenance changed, and he glided over to her and took her hand.

"Welcome, Princess! I'm terribly sorry I neglected to greet you properly before. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Suoh Tamaki. It is an honor."

"Uhhhh…" Kana felt her cheeks flush at this unexpected attention. She mustered a bow and a smile. The two young men in front of her were very tall, and very good-looking. It was a bit intimidating, as she had very little experience with men (having spent the entirety of her middle school years in an all-girl boarding school) and her father's comments that morning came, unbidden, back to her mind. She quickly withdrew we hand from Tamaki's grasp.

"V-very nice to meet you both!" she stammered, "I think I-I'll just be going to lunch, now!" She walked briskly toward the door, nearly tripping over a desk in the process, and scurried out of the classroom.

Kyouya watched after her for a few moments, then took out a file and made some notes. Tamaki smiled happily. "Cute! I think I'll invite her to the host club! I wonder what her type is?"

Kyouya smirked. "Really, no guesses? That surprises me, even for you, _Dad_."

* * *

Kana ran outside, and clapped a hand to her forehead. "Oi. I'm such a dunce. Why couldn't Father have arranged for a private tutor, or something? I'm just no good with people…" She looked around the grounds. Surely there was someplace she could eat her lunch in peace.

Her eyes alighted on a nearby tree, and she glanced around. No one was watching…

She deftly hoisted herself to a comfortable branch with her lunchbox, still looking around nervously. _I never got in trouble for this at my old school…I hope it's all right here…_

There were some birds in the tree, and their gentle singing relaxed her, and she began to eat her lunch, sighing contentedly. Yes, this was very peaceful…

She hurried back to the classroom long before the bell rang, not wanting to risk being late on her first day. Several of her classmates had returned as well, and were talking and laughing (_more like twittering_, she thought) together. She quietly made her way back to her desk. She was just sitting down when she noticed the whispered comments that had begun to spread:

"What is that in her hair?"

"I didn't see her at lunch…did she get in a fight?"

"Twigs…I wonder if she was climbing trees or something."

"Climbing trees? Surely not, what a thing to say!"

"There are sakura blossoms stuck to her lunchbag…"

Kana tried to ignore them. This happened at her last school, but after awhile they got used to it, and left her alone…

A tall, glamorous brunette strode over to Kana's desk. She was smiling, but the smile was not pleasant. _Let's see…her name was…oh shoot…I can't remember…_

"Kasuga…Kana? Was it?" She asked politely.

"Ah….yes. Pleased to meet you." As Kana inclined her head to bow, a leaf fell from her hair to the floor.

The brunette smirked, and bent low to whisper in Kana's ear. "Kasuga…this is a prestigious school for young ladies and gentlemen. Do you understand that?"

"Um…yes…but I-"

The taller girl stood up straight and lifted her chin haughtily. "I assume that in the future you will take care to not embarrass our school by coming to class in such a state…_yankee_."

"Ayanokoji Hime!" Tamaki's voice rose above the sneers and giggles. He was smiling, but his deep voice held a tone of command. "I believe class is about to start. Don't you think we should take our seats?"

Ayanokoji stiffened, and to Kana's surprise, obeyed. Kyouya was just taking his seat beside her, and she could have sworn that the corners of his mouth twitched upward. He made a few more notes on his clipboard before taking out his class notes. As the teacher began the history lecture, Kana stole a glance at Tamaki, and met his eyes. He gave her a warm smile and a wink before turning his attention to the lesson.

* * *

Kana bolted out the door of the classroom before the bell finished ringing. She didn't want to talk to anybody, didn't want to make polite conversation. She just wanted to go home and brush the stupid twigs out of her hair. She'd make up some nice story for her parents…tell them that everyone was very friendly, and it wasn't at all like the American boarding school….

"Kasuga Hime!"

…"_Hime"?_ Kana stopped, looked for the voice that addressed her so strangely. Tamaki was bolting down the hallway in her direction. The sight of a handsome young man running _at_ her and shouting "princess" was rather alarming, so she did the most logical thing and began running in the other direction.

"Hime!" He was gaining on her rapidly. What, exactly, did she hope to gain by running off? He was obviously faster, longer-limbed…if only she could duck into the ladies' room…

Just as she was rounding a corner, something caught her by each arm and hoisted her a few inches off the ground. She was left kicking and swinging in midair, without much effect. Craning her neck, she saw two heads of red hair, each of them with an elbow hooked under one of her arms. They began marching back toward Tamaki. Two voices in perfect unison asked, "Is this what you're after, m'lord?"

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" Kana heard his voice behind her, as he apparently skidded to a halt. "Put her down! That is no way to handle a lady!"

The twins shrugged and dropped her. When Kana turned around, she realized that she was now standing in the middle of a circle of very tall and unnervingly good-looking young men; the two redheads, Tamaki, and Kyouya, who had somehow appeared out of nowhere with his clipboard. She was out of breath, but Tamaki seemed to have forgotten that he had been careening through the halls just a moment ago, and had regained his perfect (and slightly annoying) composure. He coughed into his fist. "Kasuga Hime…"

"Kana."

"What?"

"Kasuga Kana. I'm not a princess; I don't know what gave you that idea...I mean, I'm sure there is a lot of royalty at this school, but I don't want you thinking…"

"It's not that he thinks you're royalty. Anyone with eyes can look at you and see you're not," Kyouya interjected matter-of-factly. "We refer to all our customers as "Hime", but Tamaki applies the term to all female-kind."

"…Oh…" Kana wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel offended or not. "Customers?"

Tamaki coughed again, and then grabbed her hand with flourish. "Kasuga Hime, I sincerely apologize for the treatment you received today from our class. Please come and visit our club and allow us to welcome you properly to our school."

"Your…club?"

"Yes, Hime! Our club exists for the sole purpose of bringing happiness to girls like you. We have something for everyone!"

"Happiness…? What kind of club is this?"

The twins suddenly started giggling. "What's you're type, hime?" said one. "We are _that_ kind of club!" said the other.

"Wh-what kind?" Kana asked, thoroughly confused.

They grinned at her, their red spikes of hair curling like horns. They emphasized each syllable, grinning wider as the realization dawned on her face."H-O-S-T C-L-U-B!"

"H-h-h-host club?" Kana backed away, out of the circle of males. "They have that kind of club here? At a high school?" She could feel her face turning red at the idea. "Suoh-san, that is very generous of you…very kind…but I-"

Somehow, the twins had crept up behind her and caught a hold of her shoulders, blocking her exit. Each of them leaned down to whisper in her ears. "So…what is your type, Kasuga _hime_?" "Cool-type?" They gestured to Kyouya, who seemed to be obliviously jotting notes. "Prince-type?" They gestured to Tamaki, who bowed chivalrously. "Or…"

"Brotherly love!" Dramatically, the twins fell into each others arms in front of her.

"Um…" _Good grief, have I stepped into some kind of bizarre shoujo-manga? _"Once again, thank you for the offer, but I really must be getting home, now…"

Tamaki teleported to her side. "Very well, Hime; but the offer stands. If you ever feel the desire, please feel free to stop by Music Room 3. We are open every day after school. We would be delighted to have you." He took her hand, and to her great embarrassment, kissed it.

"I-I'll keep it in mind." With that, she turned and walked briskly to the nearest exit, eager to return home as soon as possible.

* * *

The four host club members were soon on their way to the music room. Tamaki rubbed at his chin, thinking carefully.

"M'lord, maybe she doesn't have a 'type'." Kaoru suggested.

"She wasn't affected by the brotherly-love act!" Hikaru sighed. "How boring!"

"_Every_ lady has a type," Kyouya spoke up unexpectedly. "Some are subtler about it than others. Besides," he grinned slightly as they opened the doors to the music room. "Kasuga Kana Hime has not yet met all the members of the host club."

Hunny, Mori, and Haruhi looked up as the four entered. "You guys are late!" Hunny scolded. "You all have customers waiting!"

"I'm sorry, Hunny," Tamaki apologized, going to open the curtains and let some more light into the music room. Mori was sitting at the window with Piyo, watching the various students that were still trickling out of the classrooms. One female student had stopped in the middle of the walkway and was staring directly toward them, apparently transfixed by something.

Tamaki looked at her more closely, grinned, and opened the window. "Kasuga Kana Himeeee!" He called. "Yoo hooo!" This greeting did not have the effect he intended. She looked horrified, turned away, and ran off as quickly as she could. Hunny climbed up Mori's back and peered over his head at the running girl. "Aw, Tamaki! You scared her off!"

Kyouya glanced up from calculating profits, and reached over the make a note on his clipboard. "I don't think it was Tamaki that scared her."

* * *

END CHAPTER ONE

Do please review. I am motivated by reviews.


	2. 2: Kana

Ah! Thank you to all my lovely reviewers! I'm so happy you like the story so far. I'm having a lot of fun with it myself. I suppose I should write a disclaimer, huh? All right, here it goes:

Ouran High School Host Club canon characters, places, and events do NOT belong to me, or to anyone else but the lovely and talented Bisco Hatori! I am not making any money or receiving any undue credit for this work.

So, without further ceremony or rambling author's notes (though they tempt me so…), let us return to the story! Enjoy!

* * *

Kana didn't even wait for the driver to come around and open her door. She was in the car before he was out of his seat.

"Miss Kasuga, is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine. Just fine. Please take me home, now." She closed the privacy window that allowed her to communicate with her driver, and sank into the seat. It was so lovely to be alone…nobody watching, nobody assessing, judging, or analyzing her. She closed her eyes, sighing. The car bumped quietly along as they left the city limits and turned down the country road which lead to her parents' estate. She looked out the window, admiring, as buildings and shops gave way to trees and horses grazing. She was so glad her father had decided to purchase enough land for her to ride and explore. Out here, no one would care if she had twigs in her hair.

The house was located at the crest of a hill overlooking the city. You could even see Ouran from the front porch. It wasn't, perhaps, as big as many of the houses owned by the families of Ouran students, but this was made up for by the expanse of property surrounding it, as well as the number of houses the Kasuga family owned in various countries around the world. Kyon's work required a lot of travel, and he often took his wife, Anna, with him. Kana went along when she was not in school; she hadn't spent a summer in Japan since she was little. She didn't mind; she enjoyed traveling with her parents, whom she didn't see very much the rest of the year, and she learned a lot on those trips abroad, though she had missed a lot of school because of it.

The driver pulled to a stop at the front door to let her out. Kana thanked him, feeling a bit guilty for her earlier brusqueness, and walked into the house, silently rehearsing what exactly she was going to tell her parents about her first day at Ouran High School. _School? It was all right…yeah, I did meet some nice people. There were these boys…no! Wait! That will get him started on marriage again! Um….there were a few students who talked to me after school. Oh, not much, just what clubs are available and such…no, I haven't found any I'm interested in. Clubs! I haven't found any _clubs_ I'm interested in!_

"Oh, you're home! How was school?" her mother asked, stepping into the front hallway as Kana opened the door. She looked like she was getting ready to go out; her thick, brown hair was tied back with a violet bow, and she wore a black business dress with violet trimmings. It must be another fundraising event; she went to a lot of those.

Kana was just opening her mouth to recite her first day at school speech when her father called from upstairs: "Did you meet any nice young men?"

"Dad, please!"

"Well…did you?"

"_Yes_, there were boys in my class. _Yes_, I met them. We talked about our parents' work and the weather. It wasn't very exciting, but they were nice enough. Satisfied?" Kana felt that leaving out the part about being invited to visit Ouran High School's host club would be in her best interests.

Her mother listened to this exchange with great interest, and winked at Kana, saying, "Well, it was only your first day!"

_Why is it that I turn seventeen and my parents are suddenly so eager to have me married off?_ Muttering something about homework, Kana quickly retreated to her bedroom to escape her parents' teasing. She shut the door hastily behind her and heaved a great sigh of relief. _At last…_

She dropped her bag of books by the vanity, and paused to look at her reflection in the mirror. Most of the twigs had fallen out by now, though she had a little scrape on her forearm from an encounter with a hostile branch. It wasn't much, but Kana supposed that to the delicate city girls of Ouran High, it looked dreadful. She smiled a little, wrinkling her freckle-covered nose at the mirror. "_Got in a fight"…right. Because _I_ look like a delinquent or a yakuza member._ She tried making a fierce scowl at the mirror, but couldn't quite keep her lips from twitching. _Yeah, right. A five-foot-one, freckled delinquent wearing a yellow dress. Real tough, Kana._ An unwelcome jolt of memory erased the smile and she turned away from her own troubled expression. Being tough might be useful in some situations. It certainly would have been a welcome trait at her last school. Kana collapsed face-first on her bed. _Ouran had better be different, or I am demanding a home-school education_.

A light tickling at her ear distracted her from giving in to self-pity. She looked up, and her brown eyes met a pair of shiny black ones, set over a whiskered nose.

"Flick! There you are! Are you hungry?" She scooped up the bundle of red fur, and Flick chittered happily, welcoming her home. Kana got up to refill his food dish, and he nestled into the warm spot between her neck and shoulder. "I wish you could come to school with me; but they probably wouldn't like it very much if I brought you. But," she smiled, "I'll bet not a lot of them have seen a real fox-squirrel before."

* * *

Kasuga Anna went to tell her husband that she was leaving for the hospital benefit dinner. There would be a lot of important families there, including the Ootoris, and she was a bit anxious. But, believing in what she was doing, and in the responsibility of the wealthy to do their part in helping others, she was determined that she would succeed in her presentation. Kyon was in his study, looking over some political documents.

"Darling, I'm leaving, now."

Kyon looked up at his wife, smiling broadly. "You look beautiful. I know you'll be fantastic. You always are."

Anna returned the smile, and bent to kiss her husband. "Kyon, make sure Kana doesn't lock herself in her room all evening. It isn't good for her to be alone all the time."

"Ah, don't worry! All girls her age do things like this. With any luck, she's at least pining over some young man she met at school today."

Anna laughed. On that point, they agreed.

* * *

"Pining" was perhaps the wrong word. And Kana hadn't exactly "met" the young man she was thinking about now. In fact, she didn't even know his name, and hadn't quite made eye contact with him. All she knew about him was that he was tall, dark-haired, and probably in Tamaki's Host Club. And he liked chickens. Or at least, he should like chickens, because he had one sitting on his head. It was the chicken that did it; made her stop in her tracks while all the other students continued to stream around her. She stared up at him, sitting in a window, sunlight washing over him and accentuating his handsome features in a way that was nearly absurd, and then there was the chicken on his head. _What a mysterious person_…she had thought, still staring, and he was blissfully unaware of her, until Tamaki thrust open the window and shouted at her so that everybody turned to look. Kana covered her face with her hands. Stupid Tamaki.

Flick sniffed at her hands, and she opened them, her face feeling hot. This couldn't possibly be good. Tamaki had wanted her to come and visit his club. Let them give her a "proper" welcome, he had said. She groaned. _Whatever that means._ It wasn't that Tamaki bothered her all that much; he was kind of silly, but seemed nice enough, in an overbearing sort of way. Kyouya was creepy. He gave Kana that feeling of "I know everything about everybody, and I'm not afraid to use information to my advantage." Still, he put up with Tamaki, so he couldn't really be _all_ bad… And then there were the twins. She couldn't remember their names, but in some ways they frightened her more than Kyouya did. They seemed like the sort of people who would steal your diary and then read its contents aloud. It was a good thing Kana didn't keep a diary.

Her thoughts strayed back to the young man in the window. Was he in their club? Was he a…host? He was good-looking enough to be a host…_No!_ Kana shook her head to get rid of the thought. _I can't be thinking like that on my first day of school. I need to focus on homework._ With renewed determination, Kana pulled out her history notes and began studying. She had a week's worth of make-up work to do if she was ever going to catch up to the class.

* * *

A soft knock on her door woke her. It was nearly 9pm. "Shoot…" she mumbled groggily. "Come in…"

Kyon greeted her with a big smile and produced a slice of strawberry cake on a paper plate. "Leftover from your mother's fundraising dinner," he explained, setting it beside her. "Thought you might like to have some."

Kana's eyes widened, and she happily dug in. Cake was one of the few things in life that could make her forget about her adolescent woes. Kyon watched, amused, as she licked frosting off the little plastic fork.

"Working hard, I see," he said wryly.

Kana gave an unladylike huff. There was a short silence between them during which only her chewing and swallowing sounds could be heard.

"Kana…" her father paused, looking unusually serious and uncertain. He sighed. "Goodnight. Enjoy your cake." He turned to leave, then paused at the doorway. "Your mother and I are leaving in a few days for a meeting in England. I don't know how long we'll be gone; a week at least."

Kana nodded. "I remember. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Kyon shut the door behind him, feeling guilty. He really hoped she could make some good friends at school, who would be there for her when he and his wife weren't.

* * *

Sorry this chapter is so short! The other chapters will be longer, I promise. In fact, they *are* longer. I've already written some of them. ;) I try to stay ahead of my updates, so that I don't fall behind on updates (and now that I've said that, I will inevitably fall behind. T_T) My goal is to update once a week...but we'll see how long that lasts. Thank you for reading!


	3. 3: An Aspiring Veterinarian

Here I am! This is the point at which I become thankful that I have written beyond what I've posted; I didn't have as much time to write this week as I would have liked. Don't worry; I'm still ahead of the game, and plan to continue updating regularly.

Enjoy!

* * *

Kana's father could not accompany her on the drive to school the next morning. He was buried in paperwork, and had a lot of information to read between now and the next voting session at the U.N. She couldn't hold it against him. Her mother was attending the groundbreaking ceremony for a new hospital that was being erected in a poorer side of town. Both her parents were very busy people.

She made it to class on time, and was greeted with a cheesy smile from Tamaki and a polite nod from Kyouya. Their presence made her feel better about the pointed silence she was receiving from the other students. But Kana preferred the silence to active teasing, so this was at least an improvement. She turned her attention to the history lecture.

History was Kana's least favorite subject. Not because she didn't care about wars or politics or the industrialization of society, but because she was uncomfortably far behind in her Japanese history, having spent many of her school years in America. The subject also reminded her of her parents' work, which always put her into an irritable mood for some reason. She began doodling in her notebook.

By the end of the class period, she had two pages full of drawings of Flick, various horses, and a chicken sitting on someone's head, but no history notes. She shut her notebook quickly, hoping no one saw it. She'd just have to ask one of her classmates for notes later. Kyouya? She glanced over at him. _No way._

He seemed to notice that she was watching him, because he turned to her and spoke: "Miss Kasuga, how was your morning?" He was awfully polite, for someone so strangely intimidating.

"It was fine…thank you." Actually, it was chaotic. Her father had burst in at 6 am with pancakes and eggs, insisting that she couldn't go to school without eating a hearty breakfast. She had found Flick attempting to stow away in her school bag, and had to clean out the newspaper shavings he had stored there in an effort to build a nest. But she didn't feel it would be appropriate to explain all of this to Kyouya.

"How is your family?" He was still wearing the polite smile that looked so unnatural on him. _That must be why he looks so creepy. That's not his real smile_._ I wonder what his real smile would look like?_

"They're doing well, thank you. My father's work keeps him very busy."

"Yes, I imagine it would. You know, we don't have a lot of students at Ouran who are the children of important political figures." This sounded like a compliment, but there was something else in his tone that Kana couldn't quite catch.

"What…does your father do?" she asked, floundering for something to say.

At this, Kyouya's glasses glinted, obscuring his eyes, but he managed to maintain the polite smile. It seemed a little tighter. "He's a businessman. We deal primarily in the health industry."

Before Kana could respond or mention the fundraising dinner her mother had just attended, Tamaki swooped in. "Mom! Have you convinced Kasuga-Hime to visit the host club yet?"

"No, I have not," Kyouya responded, adjusting his glasses and looking up at Tamaki benignly. "Miss Kasuga is already aware of your rather forceful invitation, I believe." He stood up to go with Tamaki to have lunch. "But I _am_ of the opinion that she will respond to it, given enough time and proper motivation…"

Kana could not see Kyouya's expression as he said this, but his tone of voice made her nervous.

"Ah, yes! The proper motivation!" Exclaimed Tamaki. "Kasgua-Hime, would you like to join us for lunch?"

Somehow Kana doubted that this was the motivation to which Kyouya had been referring, and she really didn't feel like going with them to the crowded lunch hall. Even if it _did_ have four chandeliers. Besides, all the girls in the classroom who had not yet left for lunch had paused as Tamaki spoke and seemed to be listening for Kana's reply. The air felt a little chilly.

"I'll pass, thanks," Kana said, as politely as she could. "I really feel like just having lunch by myself today."

* * *

_Thank goodness I got out of there. _Kana sighed as she hurried outside with her lunch. The grounds were particularly beautiful today, and for once she felt a bit happy to be attending Ouran High School. The sakura trees were all in bloom, and the sun was out, highlighting the colors of the school's flower gardens. For a moment, Kana glanced longingly at the tree she had eaten in yesterday. But she shook off the desire and decided to choose the safer option of sitting _under_ the tree instead.

The grass was cool in the shade of the sakura blossoms. Kana closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling the scent of spring and feeling peaceful at last. She had just taken out her lunch box when she heard a curious chitter come from the direction of her school bag. She looked down, and a pair of big, black, innocent eyes met hers.

"Flick!" Her sudden exclamation startled him, and he bolted out of her bag and across the lawn. This was not the first time he had stowed away in her school bag. At her last school, Flick had chosen to accompany her on the day that they were doing state testing, and had nearly gotten her expelled when he leapt down the front of the test proctor's blouse. Kana understood that this was Flick's way of seeking comfort in unfamiliar and frightening situations, but the test proctor had some difficulty empathizing.

Kana thoughtfully remembered all of this as she chased her fox squirrel across Ouran's front lawn. Flick seemed to think she was playing a game, and would run ten feet ahead of her before stopping, chittering, and bolting again. Finally, Kana feinted a left turn, and then made a spectacular dive to intersect his path on the right, grasping him by the scruff of the neck. She lifted him to eye level, and he sniffed at her nose.

"You're a pain, you know that?" She asked, looking directly into his furry face. He blinked his eyes hugely, in an effort to look innocent.

"Chee?" Flick asked.

"Well, I guess you'll have to stay in my school bag for the rest of the day." Gently, she carried him back to the tree and lowered him into her bag before zipping it closed. "Serves you right!"

What Kana did not notice was that another pair of dark eyes was watching her from the window of the seniors' lunch hall. These eyes had followed her from the moment she went to sit under the sakura tree, and as she chased Flick around the yard. They were attached to a young man named Morinozuka Takashi.

"Takashi, what are you looking at?" Hunny asked, jumping on his cousin's back and peering over his shoulder.

Mori silently nodded at the tree Kana was now sitting under, hurrying to finish her lunch.

"Oooohhh! I think I've seen her. She's a transfer student, right? From America?"

"Ah."

"What's she doing out there, eating lunch by herself?"

"She's not by herself." The corners of Mori's mouth turned upward slightly as he left the window to go back to class with Hunny.

* * *

Kana slipped through the door of the classroom just as the bell was finished ringing. Several heads turned to look at her, which she attempted to ignore, and she caught the slight frown on the teacher's face. This period took place in the biology lab room, which was on the other side of campus from where she had eaten lunch, and she was perspiring a little from the jog. Tamaki waved her over to his table.

"Kasuga-Himeeee! Come and be my partner!"

Several heads turned to glare this time; all of them female. She heard snatches of whispers as she walked past the tables, trying not to look at anyone but Tamaki.

"Outside again?"

"Just look at her."

"What a disgrace."

"What has she been doing?"

"Rolling around in the dirt?"

"Like a pig?"

Kana bit her tongue to keep from reacting, and lowered her eyes to the floor. She felt Flick poking around in her bag, and prayed he would stay quiet. Thankfully, the teacher started the lesson, and after a few more residual glares, she was ignored once again.

The afternoon's lesson was a lab project, so the lecture and explanation only lasted a few minutes before the students were told to begin their work with their partners. Kyouya was sitting at a table on the other side of the room with a female student that Kana did not know. Tamaki turned to her, and seemed ready to say something. Kana wasn't sure she wanted to hear it, whatever it was.

"Do you want to measure, or start up the burner?" she asked quickly.

Tamaki didn't answer for a moment. "I'll measure."

"R-right. Okay." Kana walked over to the supply cabinet, and paused in front of the glass doors, seeing her reflection for the first time since that morning. She had grass stains on her dress from when she dove after Flick on the lawn, and some scrapes. Her hair was tussled a little bit. She made a discreet effort to smooth it as she opened the cabinet to retrieve a burner for herself and Tamaki. Someone elbowed her out of the way a little too harshly. She tried not to make eye contact, not wanting a confrontation. She decided to wait until everyone else had gotten theirs before trying again.

"Miss Kasuga, you need this, right?" Kyouya asked, his voice coming from somewhere above the black shoes she found herself staring at. He was handing her a burner.

"Oh…yes…thank you." She couldn't bring herself to look up at him, but turned back to the table she was sharing with Tamaki. "Here it is," she said, sitting down and opening her book to the page they were working off of.

"Thank you, Kana."

In spite of herself, she looked up, startled. Tamaki had called her by her first name. When she met his eyes, his look was serious, and even somewhat reproachful.

"You've been staring at the floor since you came through that door," he said softly.

"…oh…"

"Kana. Don't worry so much about what others think. You are a lovely young woman."

"Uh…I…" Kana felt herself flush at the unexpected compliment that was surprisingly non-flirtatious, coming from Tamaki.

He smiled. "I have the components measured out. I think we're ready to start."

Kana found herself smiling back. "All right."

* * *

Kana and Tamaki finished their project before anyone else in the class, and Kana had started to read ahead in the biology book.

"We'll be dissecting things, soon," she noted aloud. "I've always thought that was interesting."

Tamaki chuckled. "You are a rare creature, Kana-Hime. I haven't met many girls who looked forward to dissecting things in biology."

Kana smiled, and continued to read. Her eyes lit up every now and then as she turned the pages.

"You really like biology, don't you? And you're very good at it." Tamaki commented. "Do you want to be a doctor?"

"Actually, I'd like to be a veterinarian. I love to take care of animals." She absently put a hand over her bag, but Flick was being very quiet; probably sleeping. A few heads turned in their direction; a few scowls, and even a disapproving look from the teacher, but for once, Kana didn't notice. Tamaki did.

"I think that's a _wonderful_ choice of profession!" he announced a little too loudly, slamming his fist on the table and nearly spilling the contents of their project. The teacher hurried over.

"I suppose I had better grade this before you have to do it over, Tamaki," he said, laughing lightly.

At the table across the room, Kyouya and his lab partner were just finishing their project. Kyouya looked up to watch the teacher at Kana and Tamaki's table.

The teacher made a few notes, and nodded with satisfaction. "Excellent work, you two. Very efficient use of your time, with quality results." He started to walk away, and then paused to look back at Kana. "Kana, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation…I'm so glad you're using your talents and education to further such _worthy_ career goals." The smile he gave her was strange and not entirely pleasant, but Kana couldn't figure out what made his statement an insult. There were a few snickers around the room, but Tamaki pulled her attention back to him.

"That's right. There is no worthier career goal than doing what you love to do," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

The teacher had just finished examining Kyouya and his partner's project, with much satisfaction and praise. Other students in the class were finishing rapidly, and the sound of books shutting and bags zipping rippled around the room in preparation for the bell that signaled the next class period. Kana carefully unzipped her bag so she wouldn't wake Flick, and slipped her biology book inside. Flick opened his eyes and yawned, but did not try to escape. He enjoyed the warm dark of Kana's schoolbag. She stood to leave.

Kyouya shut his book with a bit too much force, and abruptly stood as well. He was not wearing his usual polite smile; in fact, he looked a bit angry, and proceeded to follow her out the door.

"Miss Kasuga," he said sharply, as they walked into the hall.

Kana slowed and turned to look up at him. He was frowning. "Ootori-san, is something wrong?"

"Step inside, please," he ordered, opening the door to an unused classroom and herding her inside. "I have some things I'd like to discuss with you." Tamaki walked by, looking at them curiously, but Kyouya shook his head. "We'll be there in just a minute," he told Tamaki, then shut the door tightly behind them. "You are playing very dangerously, you know that?"

"What?" Kana blinked. _What an odd way to start a conversation_. "What am I playing?"

Kyouya sighed. "You really are naïve, aren't you? Both of you. You really think that if you happily ignore the real world, it will go away?"

"Ootori-san, I don't know what you're talking abo-"

"A veterinarian? Do you really think that _anyone_ goes to this school to be a _veterinarian_? Why aren't you at a commoner's school, if that's your goal?" He turned his back to her, and walked toward the window.

Kana felt a sharp pain in her chest. So Kyouya was like this, as well. _I should have known_. "It's really none of your concern why I'm at this school. Why can't I do what I want to do?"

"You're at this school because of your father, right?" Kyouya asked, still facing the window. "Because your father is a diplomat, and they believed you would fit in better at a school where that sort of thing is commonplace. But your parents have a slight misunderstanding of how this student body operates."

This felt like a change of subject to Kana, and she was still confused. "What? Ootori-san, you aren't making any sense."

"Children of political figures come to this school because they are important, and because the government provides them with the funds to live comfortably and receive a quality education. But often the families aren't as wealthy as others who attend here. Therefore, children of political figures may be feared, because they have unknown influence, but they are almost never liked by other students, do you understand _that_?"

Kana clenched her fists at her sides. _Did he drag me in here to tell me the other students don't like me? I know that already._ "Yes, I understand that other students don't like me. But-"

"Then why do you exacerbate it by waltzing around, climbing trees, rolling around in the front lawn, doodling in your history notebook, keeping a fox squirrel in your school bag, and announcing in the middle of a biology lab that you are going to be a _veterinarian_ when you graduate?"

Kana's jaw dropped. For several moments she was speechless. "How-?" She put her hand protectively over her bag, which contained both her fox squirrel and the offending history notebook.

For the first time since that morning, Kyouya smiled. This time, it looked more like Kana imagined his real smile might look; cunning and slightly evil, but not exactly malicious. "I'm observant." He sighed, chuckling and shaking his head. "You two really are alike in a lot of ways."

"Who?"

"You and Tamaki. You're both idiots."

Kana started to protest, but he held up his hand. "If you continue as you have been, you will make yourself vulnerable to more scrutiny, and possibly worse than bullying." His eyes narrowed, and he became serious again. "Did you know that yakuza members attend this school?"

"Japanese mafia? They let…but why…?"

"Power and influence are enough to get into this school, even without money and scholarship."

Kana frowned, thinking about this for a few minutes. In many ways, that was how _she_ had gotten into Ouran. "Ootori-san…"

"Hn?"

"Are you…trying to warn me? To…protect me?"

Kyouya smiled again. "That's an interesting view." He walked past her to open the door. "We'd better hurry, or we'll be late for our next class."

Kana hurried after him. "Ootori-san!"

"Hn?"

"May I copy your history notes?" She asked, smiling sheepishly.

Kyouya turned to look at her for a moment, his smile growing into a wry grin. "Not a chance."

* * *

Ha! I love Kyouya. He's so much fun to write. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it, and it helps motivate me to continue writing. Please continue to enjoy my story!


	4. 4: Ayanokoji

Yay! Another update! I'm sorry Mori hasn't shown up very often; I promise, more Mori is coming in the future! Yes, lots of him. More than Bisco Hatori (lovely, talented woman though she is) lets us have. Please enjoy!

* * *

The last bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Kana inconspicuously checked her bag. Flick was moving around a bit, which meant she needed to take him home and feed him before he caused any further disruption. She skirted around Kyouya and Tamaki as quickly as she could, giving them both what she hoped was a grateful smile. They had both made her day a lot better than it could have been.

Tamaki called after her. "Come visit our club sometime, Kana-hime!"

Kana cringed. The other girls in the room didn't seem to like how he had adopted the use of her first name, nor the blatancy with which he continued to hound her about the club.

"Not today, Tamaki!" She called over her shoulder. She proceeded to hurry toward the exit (remembering to slow down just a bit; ladies don't run, after all). Or…what she thought was the exit.

_Wasn't it here?_

Kana paused, frowning. It was a large school; it may have been too much to ask not to get lost during her first few days. She opened a pair of large, ornate double doors, and was met with another hallway. There were several students collecting in this hall as they filed out of class, chatting amiably and in no particular hurry. She didn't recognize any of them, which was probably a good thing in her case.

_Maybe this section of the school is for first-years._

Some of them seemed a bit younger, but it was difficult to tell. She carefully made her way down the wide hallway, trying to look natural. She didn't want to be noticed if she wasn't supposed to be here. Finally, she located a door that stepped out onto a small balcony, and she thought she could see a narrow stairway leading down to the front lawn from there.

_Finally! I'll just slip out this way, and-_

As soon as she made her way out to the balcony and shut the door behind her, she heard a "tsk" sound and turned to see three of her classmates seated around an ornate ivory table. One of them was Ayanokoji. Kana hastily bowed and backed toward the door.

"Forgive the intrusion!" she sputtered. "I didn't think-"

"Come back here." One of the other girls ordered sharply.

Kana paused. It would probably be wiser to do as they said. They would probably just ridicule her hair, her upbringing, her heritage, and status as a human being, then let her go. Kana thought she could handle that. She cautiously walked over to the table.

"This is the tea club," Ayanokoji announced imperiously. "We consider it our duty to practice and model proper etiquette for the betterment of ourselves and our peers." She smirked. "No matter how hopeless the case may seem."

Kana took a deep breath, trying not to react. "I appreciate your concern, Ayanokoji-san, but I really don't have time for etiquette lessons today. Perhaps another time…" She edged her way toward the stairway.

Ayanokoji sighed and rolled her eyes. She would probably be very beautiful, if she didn't have the constant air of irritation about her. "You are incredibly naïve, Kasuga."

Kana paused. Kyouya had said the same thing to her earlier.

Ayanokoji continued. "Your father may be a diplomat, but families like mine have enough money to buy any political favors we need. You have no power, here."

Kana frowned. "I'm not interested in power."

At this, all three girls laughed mockingly.

"Oh, Kasuga, _really_…" Ayanokoji dabbed at her eyes with a dainty handkerchief. "Of course you aren't. You want to be a veterinarian!"

Kana clenched her fists in irritation. She could feel Flick poking around in her bag again. "And what do you care about that? Why waste your energy mocking me?"

They didn't answer. Ayanokoji narrowed her eyes, and the other two glanced at each other, still smirking. The answer dawned on Kana, and it was so pathetic and obvious she almost burst out laughing herself. "Is it because Tamaki talked to me? _That's_ what this is about?"

Suddenly, Ayanokoji stood up, eyes blazing. "Leave us, please," she growled to the other girls. They hastily obliged. Kana suddenly found Ayanokoji stalking toward her angrily, cornering her against the balcony railing. Two stories below, a little fountain bubbled with ironic cheerfulness. It occurred to Kana that she was very short, and Ayanokoji was very tall. It may not have been the best choice to cross her under the circumstances. But this was all in retrospect.

"Wait a minute, there's no need to-"

But Ayanokoji had reached Kana in just a few short steps, and forcefully put her hand over Kana's, which was holding her bag. She was pinned to the railing. "I think," the taller girl said with chilling composure, "that there is every need. You need to learn your place." With unexpected strength, she ripped the schoolbag out of Kana's hand, and moved to throw it over the edge of the balcony, into the fountain below. "I hope there's something breakable in here."

_Flick_.

"_No!_" Kana shouted, grabbing the other girl's arm. Ayanokoji seemed surprised at the resistance, and dropped the bag back onto the balcony. She didn't seem to hear the frightened "chee!" that the bag produced when it landed, but Kana did, and it made her even angrier. The anger was what got Ayanokoji's attention.

"…what's in your bag, Kana?" she asked, picking it back up before Kana could reach it. She held it over her head, smirking as Kana reached in vain to grab at the taller girl's wrists. "This is too easy."

"Give it _back_!" Kana demanded, knowing full well how idiotic she looked, jumping and grabbing at air while Ayanokoji stood there calmly.

"Tsk, tsk. That's no way to ask. You didn't say please…" she moved toward the railing again, with more purpose this time.

"No, _please_ don't throw it!" Kana was near tears, frustrated at her inability to fight back, and scared for her pet.

"_Ayanokoji!_"

The two girls turned, surprised at the interruption. A boy stood in the doorway that Kana did not recognize. He was short, and sort of effeminate, but his eyes were dangerously narrowed. He meant business. To Kana's surprise, Ayanokoji paled when she saw him.

"Haruhi…"

"Tamaki forbid you from returning to the club because of acts like this. Do you want his father to expel you, as well?"

"Tell her to give me my bag back!" Kana said desperately. It was still in Ayanokoji's hands, dangling over the edge of the balcony, and the sight was making Kana feel sick.

Slowly, too slowly for Kana's taste, Ayanokoji turned and handed the bag back to her. Kana clutched it, and even unzipped a tiny crack, peeking inside. Flick's fur was puffed up, and his eyes were huge and frightened, but he seemed all right otherwise. Kana quickly shut the bag again, lest he make an attempt to escape. _Hold on, Flick. It'll be all right when we get home_.

"This is why Tamaki doesn't like you. It's because you're cruel and you're a coward; always picking on people who can't or won't fight back." The boy, Haruhi, was still lecturing Ayanokoji, who had turned furiously red. Still, she didn't seem to be able to look him in the eye.

"You'll pay for this," she growled, and then pushed past him, back into the school.

Kana sighed in relief, and turned to her savior. He was a short boy, probably one of the first years, and he had a very effeminate build. In fact, he could have passed for a girl, if he weren't wearing the boys' uniform. _Stop thinking like that,_ Kana chided herself. _He just rescued you and Flick. You shouldn't judge his appearance so much._ She bowed. "Thank you so much. I'm sorry to have brought you trouble."

Haruhi smiled warmly at her. "No trouble at all. She threw my bag in that fountain when I first got here, too."

"But why?"

Haruhi shrugged. "I'm a 'commoner'. I came here to Ouran on a scholarship, and I think Ayanokoji resents anyone who is successful without money and power. She doesn't understand them."

Kana nodded. She had some money and power, but didn't really think about it a lot. That was also something Ayanokoji probably found difficult to understand.

"Are you all right, now? She didn't hurt you, did she? She can get a little intense sometimes. She throws tables."

Kana smirked at the image of prim and proper Ayanokoji throwing a table. "No, I'm all right. Thank you." She held out her hand to Haruhi. "I'm Kasuga Kana. I just transferred here from a boarding school in America."

"My name is Fujioka Haruhi. It's a pleasure to have met you."

Kana could feel Flick poking around nervously in her bag. He probably wouldn't settle down again until they were safe at home; he had been jostled quite a bit during the struggle with Ayanokoji. "I'm sorry to run off so soon, but I really need to be getting home, now…" she explained, hoping she didn't sound too ungrateful.

Haruhi checked his watch. "Actually, I have to get to my club meeting anyway. I'm running late as it is."

"Oh? What club?"

Haruhi averted his eyes, and actually looked a bit embarrassed. "The…Host Club."

Kana's jaw dropped. "_Tamaki's_ host club?" It made some sense. A lot of girls would be attracted to Haruhi's big eyes and effeminate facial features. And he was a very attractive person; Kana couldn't deny that. But he seemed attractive in a different sort of way than the other members of the club that she had met.

"Yes, that host club. You know Tamaki?"

"He's in my class…"

Haruhi blinked in recognition. "I knew I'd heard your name somewhere. Actually, he mentioned you yesterday. He said he invited you to come visit us."

Kana flushed and looked away. "I would, but…I'm just not very good with people."

"You seem fine to me."

Kana looked back at Haruhi, who was smiling at her in the warmest, most sincere way. She could understand how he would make a good host. "Thank you, Haruhi, I appreciate that."

"You should come visit us sometime. They actually aren't all that bad…Tamaki and the others. Once you get to know them."

"I don't doubt it," said Kana, thinking about Tamaki and Kyouya, and how they had treated her kindly, each in their own way.

Haruhi bowed and hurried back inside the school to the Host Club. Kana began to descend the stairs, considering. _Maybe visiting the…host club…wouldn't be such a bad idea. If there are people like Haruhi and Kyouya and Tamaki. _She remembered the twins, and cringed. _Then again…it could be bad for my health._ She sighed. She didn't want to think about her father's reaction if he heard that Kana had visited such a club. _He might actually be happy about it, _she mused, smirking. _He's like that._

She arrived at the bottom of the stairwell and made her way across the school's courtyards, to where her driver should be waiting for her. On the way, she glanced up at one of the windows. She didn't expect to see him there again, but-

She caught her breath. _There he is._

The young man she had seen yesterday was perched in the same spot on the windowsill. From this angle, she had an even better view of him than before. He was incredibly tall and muscular, more so even than Tamaki. His dark, disheveled hair and dark eyes gave him an air of mystery and casual nonchalance. He was, she realized, devastatingly handsome. This time, he didn't have a chicken on his head. It was a tanuki.

She was staring. She _knew_ she was staring, but she couldn't help it. What kind of person had a chicken on his head one day and a tanuki on his head the next? What kind of person looked _that_ good in a school uniform? What kind of person…turned his head…and looked her straight in the eye…

For several long, agonizing moments, he stared at her, and she stared back, frozen. And then, she did the only thing she knew how to do in these socially awkward situations: she ran away.

* * *

"Haruhi, you're late."

"Yes, I know. Sorry, but Ayanokoji was causing trouble again." Haruhi sighed, shutting the door to Music Room 3 behind her with some force. She was still vexed about the encounter.

Tamaki ran to her side. "What did she do to you _this_ time? I swear, I'll make sure she-"

"It wasn't me this time, sempai," Haruhi explained, silencing him. "It was another girl. That new transfer student. Ayanokoji was trying to throw her bag in the fountain."

Hikaru scoffed. "That's what she did to you! I swear, the girl has no imagination."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "She tried to throw Kasuga-san's bag in the fountain? Did she succeed?"

"No. I stopped her. But Kasgua-san seemed pretty upset."

Kyouya nodded, seeming to understand something. "I can imagine why."

"Mitsukuni." Mori's voice unexpectedly interrupted the flow of conversation. Once again, he was seated at the windowsill, but instead of being apparently lost in his own thoughts, he was staring intently at something. Hunny came bounding over.

"What is it, Takashi? Do you see someone? Oh! She's the girl we saw at lunch, huh? Haruhi, is that the girl Ayanokoji was bothering?"

Haruhi came over to the window to look. The subject in question was running toward the courtyard. On the other side was the lot where limousines and town cars parked and waited for their passengers to get out of class. It could have been any student running that way, and Haruhi could only see the girl from the back. "I can't really tell. It sort of looks like her."

Mori frowned, but didn't say anything. Not that anyone expected him to. He took the tanuki off his head and held it in front of him, looking it in the eyes. The tanuki looked back.

"Mori, must you continue to keep these things in the club room?" Kyouya asked irritably, waving Piyo, Mori's chicken, away from the tea cakes. "They're pests!"

"Aw, but Kyouya, they're a big hit with the customers!" Hunny protested.

Kyouya huffed, but couldn't argue. "Where do they keep coming from, anyway?" He asked, kneeling to inspect the cardboard box which housed the newest addition to Mori's menagerie. A small, white rabbit sat huddled in the corner, its front paw bandaged awkwardly.

Mori walked over to kneel beside Kyouya, setting the tanuki on the floor. "I found it by the kendo building," he said. "It's leg is broken."

"Oi, Mori, why can't you just send it to a veterinarian, or something?" Kaoru asked. "Wouldn't that be easier? Or is this another one of your penance things?"

Hikaru smirked. "What, did you forget to tell the rabbit to floss after it ate a carrot once?"

Mori looked away, obviously embarrassed. "I…"

"Guys, leave him alone," Haruhi scolded.

"Mori," Kyouya said, making a note on his clipboard. "I actually know someone who has some skill with animals. I'll see if I can get her to come in tomorrow and look at that rabbit's leg."

Mori looked over at Kyouya, eyes widened a bit in surprise.

Kyouya smirked. "That is, _if_ we can find a way to get her in the door…."

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

Mwahahaaa! Mori speaks! What will happen next? Will Kana actually visit the host club? Will she ever realize Haruhi is a girl? Will Kyouya admit he has a heart, and it isn't made of stone? Will Mori and Hunny ever graduate? (I personally hope not on that last one. Not in the manga, anyway!) Stay tuned to find out the answers to these and more questions!

Please, review! Reviews are helpful for me to figure out what kinds of scenes my readers find funny, entertaining, sweet, or otherwise affective in some way. Leave some love!


	5. 5: Cake for Breakfast

Hello again! Thank you to all of you who have been following the story so far. And to those of you who have just started, welcome! I hope you enjoy it.

At this point, I'm going to begin making some statements in-story about the political climate in Asia and Europe which are purely fictional. I have no idea what organized crime is like in those continents right now. Please don't read too much into it!

* * *

Kana awoke the next morning to the persistent blaring of her alarm clock and something fuzzy under her chin. Flick had insisted on sleeping in her bed all night, and now his tail was wrapped around her neck like an uncomfortably hot scarf. She waved him off, and he chittered in complaint, but re-settled himself at the end of her bed. He seemed all right now; in fact, he seemed to have forgotten all about the incident with Ayanokoji by the time they arrived home. That, at least, was a relief. But looking at him reminded her of the other events that happened yesterday; biology lab, her conversation with Kyouya, Ayanokoji, and getting caught staring at the dark-haired young man in the window. Kana groaned and pulled the blankets back over her head. _I can't believe I just ran off like that_._ Stupid._

"Kana!" Her father's voice boomed cheerfully from the other side of her bedroom door. "Are you up, yet? What do you want for breakfast?"

"Nothing!" Kana called back, pleading. "I don't feel like eating this morning!"

"Are you _sure_? Breakfast is important…"

"Dad! Please! I can't eat anything!" At that moment, her stomach was tied up in knots. Eating would only make her more uncomfortable.

Her father sighed, and then left her to get ready for school in peace.

* * *

When Kana came down to bid her parents goodbye for the day, she found them sitting at the breakfast table, talking animatedly over her father's political papers.

"…organized crime is up by nearly fifty percent in Japan! Not to mention Asia and Europe. This is becoming a major international issue, Anna. Our governments simply cannot continue to turn a blind eye. I'm going to address this in my meeting with the Prime Minister this week."

"I'm sure he'll agree with you. England has been having its own share of problems; if you could work together, perhaps you could work on a proposal for the U.N."

"If I do, I'll have to work quickly to get things moving. The next U.N. meeting is only a few months away."

Kana cleared her throat, trying to break into the conversation as unobtrusively as possible. "Uh…I'm going to school now…"

Her mother looked up at the clock, surprised. "Is it that time, already? I need to go, too. I have a luncheon to attend in Kyoto."

"We'll see you when you get home, Kana. Have a good day at school!" Her father said cheerfully. "If you'd like to participate in some after school activities, just give us a call and we'll send a driver to pick you up later, okay?"

"Yes, Dad. Thank you." Kana shut the door behind her.

* * *

_Sheesh. Way to be subtle, Dad. _Kana sighed, staring out the window of the car as it made its way to Ouran. _I suppose I should try to find a club or something to participate in, or else they'll worry_. As the car descended the hill on which the Kasuga property was located, trees parted and gave way to large houses and mansions. Many of the families in the neighborhoods surrounding Ouran had children attending the school, or were related to the educational establishment in some other way. They passed several limos as they drove by. The Kasuga family's town car was modest by comparison, but Kyon and Anna believed in using their government benefits for more practical uses.

It would have been practical to have the town car serviced more often.

As they pulled to a stop sign, about ten blocks from the school, the engine spluttered a few times, and went silent. The driver cursed and tried to start it again, but after several failed attempts, he got out and popped open the hood. Kana rolled down her window to see what was going on.

"It's not going to start again, is it?" She asked, after observing the way her driver was frowning at the machinery.

"No, Miss Kasuga. I'll send for another car right away."

"Oh, don't bother," she said, opening the door. "It's not much farther. I'll just walk the rest of the way. It would be faster than waiting for another ride." She slung her school bag over her shoulder and stepped out.

"But Miss Kasuga-!"

"It's perfectly all right. I could use the exercise, anyway." She gave the driver a reassuring smile, and started down the sidewalk toward the school.

Kana's short legs did not carry her down the sidewalk very quickly, but she appreciated the opportunity to move and get some of the nervous energy out of her system. That is, until the raindrops started falling. At first, it was nothing but a pleasant sprinkle, just enough to cool the air. But soon, the rain began falling harder, and Kana found herself clutching her bag and running between trees, trying in vain not to get her expensive school uniform any wetter than it already was. _If they disapproved of a few twigs and flower petals, wait until they get a load of _this_. I suppose a proper young lady attending Ouran High would never have chosen to walk to school… not without her parasol, anyway._ Kana cringed, wringing rainwater out of her hair. _At least the bag's waterproof, even if my clothes aren't_.

One of the limos going past slowed down to match her pace, and the passenger window lowered. "Excuse me, Miss! Are you trying to get to Ouran?" Kana stopped, turning to see who had spoken. A blonde boy with huge brown eyes and a cheerful smile was leaning out the window of the limo. He was holding a little pink umbrella with a white rabbit on it. The uniform he wore bore the Ouran logo, so Kana guessed he attended the elementary school. She hadn't seen him before.

"Uh…yes, I am…"

"Would you like a ride?"

"Yes, please!"

The limo slowed to a stop, and the driver hopped out to help Kana into the back. Inside, it was deliciously warm, with hot air blowing from all the vents. She could feel her clothes start to dry slowly. The boy whose limo she was sharing stared at her thoughtfully. "Would you like to dry your hair?"

Kana, who had been digging around in her bag for a comb, looked up in disbelief. "I'd love to. Do you have a hair drier I could borrow when we get to school?"

"You can borrow it now!" He pushed a button, and a tray popped out of one of the limos many mysterious compartments, containing a hair drier, brush, comb, and styling products. Kana sighed in relief, took the hair drier, and went to work fixing the damage the rain had done. _Things like this are what separate well-off people from absurdly rich ones_.

"Your name is Kasuga, right?" the little boy asked, pulling a pink stuffed rabbit out of nowhere and snuggling with it in a way that seemed to spontaneously generate little flowers around his head. Kana blinked, not sure of what she was actually seeing.

"Um…yes. Kasuga Kana. Pleased to meet you! What's your name?"

"I'm Hunny!" he exclaimed, but seemed disinclined to provide further identification. Kana wasn't sure if this was due to his youth and endearing naïveté, or whether he was withholding the information on purpose. It was difficult to tell when he was smiling at her like that.

"How did you know my name, Hunny? I don't think we've met before."

"I saw you yesterday in the courtyard, eating lunch by yourself. Don't you have anyone to eat lunch with, Kana-chan?"

Kana flushed, wondering what all he had seen her doing at lunch yesterday. "Uh…well…I'm new here, so…"

"You're in Tama-kun and Kyoua-kun's class, right? You should eat with them!"

"Well…maybe sometime…" Kana paused, realizing the way Hunny was speaking. She frowned. "Hunny, shouldn't you be referring to them as "sempai"?"

Hunny blinked. For a moment, his expression reminded her of Flick. He shook his head. "Nope! I'm eighteen! I'm a senior!"

Kana nodded politely, deciding to humor him. It wouldn't hurt to play along…

"Kana-chan, have you eaten breakfast?" Hunny asked suddenly. Kana remembered that she hadn't, and realized that her stomach was growling loudly enough to be embarrassing. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Um…no, I haven't…"

Hunny's face lit up. "Then, that means…" he rummaged around in one of the compartments, "we can have CAKE together!" He produced a gigantic pink cake along with this announcement, a cake which would have been impossible to fit anywhere that she could see. He pushed another button, and a table popped out between them. Kana absently returned the hair drier to its place; she was mostly dry now, and hungrier than she had expected.

"Hunny…" she said, at a loss for words. Hunny had already tied a napkin around his neck, and was serving himself a particularly large slice. "Do we even have _time _to eat cake?" she asked finally.

"I can always make time for cake, Kana-chan! But you'd better hurry if you want some, too…" he dug in happily.

Kana eyed the giant cake, and allowed herself a small but growing smile.

"I would love some."

* * *

By the time they arrived at Ouran, they were still licking pink frosting off their fingers. Hunny had, amazingly, eaten most of the cake. How and where he managed to stuff it into his small body was beyond Kana's imagination. She had enjoyed a second helping of cake herself, but in more reasonable portions. It was a delicious breakfast, and almost made her forget about the several reasons she was nervous about coming to school this morning.

Almost.

But she was sharply reminded when one of those reasons was waiting by the front entrance.

Seeing him standing upright came as a bit of a shock; Kana had realized that he was tall, but his height hadn't really registered until she saw him from ground level. He was taller than her father. He wasn't the tallest person she had ever seen, but the way he carried himself made it seem like he towered over everyone else. Students streamed around him, some daring a meek "good morning", several girls blushing and whispering, and many others simply giving him a wide berth. But they all noticed him; he was impossible not to notice. And he was staring directly at the limo in which she and Hunny were approaching.

"H-Hunny…" she stammered, her voice pitching a little higher than normal, "why don't we drop you off over by the elementary school entrance? I can walk from there."

"Silly, Kana-chan! I already told you, I'm eighteen!"

"Oh…right…" She laughed nervously. Playing along with this game was having unforeseen consequences.

Hunny blinked at her. "Kana-chan? Are you okay?"

"I'm just a little nervous about school, today…"

The limo was slowing to a stop right in front of the gate.

"Aw, don't be nervous! Here, do you want to hold Bun-Bun for awhile?"

The young man looked up expectantly, and took a step toward them.

"No, I…why don't you drop _me_ off in front of the elementary school?"

The driver was getting out, preparing to open the door for them.

Hunny laughed. "Kana-chan, you're silly!" He bounded out of the limo, and ran right up to the young man towering outside. "Takashi! Good morning!"

"Good morning, Mitsukuni."

Kana sat paralyzed in the passenger seat, as the driver waited patiently and politely for her to take his proffered hand. _They know each other_. She found herself being helped gently out of the limo, clutching her schoolbag to her chest. _He's…looking at me_.

"Takashi, this is Kasuga Kana!"

Mori gave no outward indication that he recognized her, but it was difficult to tell. He bowed slightly. "Pleased to meet you."

"We saw you out the window yesterday, didn't we, Takashi?"

Mori nodded.

It took a few moments for this statement to register properly in Kana's mind. When it did, the butterflies in her stomach began beating their wings franticly. "You saw me?"

"Uh, huh! First at lunch, and then again after school!"

_Oh…..God._ She stole a glance at Mori. He was looking down at her, his expression still unreadable. Suddenly it seemed very important that she get to class early this morning. "Uh…I'm really sorry, but I've got to get to class! Thank you, Hunny!"

Hunny and Mori watched her as she hurried away without waiting for a response, still clutching her bag a little too tightly.

"She seems like a really nice person, Takashi," Hunny commented, smiling. "But she's super-shy. I hope she opens up some more and makes friends."

Mori nodded slightly, frowning. "That will be difficult if people like Ayanokoji continue to bother her."

"True…" Hunny looked back at her, just as she was disappearing through the front entrance of the school. "Maybe we should be friends with her, Takashi! She really likes cake. We had some for breakfast this morning! If we got to know her, maybe I could eat cake with her all the time!" He continued to ponder this happily, listing off the different cakes they could try, as the two of them made their way into the school.

Mori's lips curved in the barest hint of a smile. "Yes. Maybe you could."

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

I know many of you are itching for Kana to visit the host club already. I'm trying! Really I am! But she is being awfully difficult. If you don't believe me, see for yourself:

Kana, why don't you visit the host club in the next chapter?

Kana: Wh-what? N-no! Why would I do that? Think of what my father will say! It would be so embarrassing…

Pleeeaaase visit the host club?

Kana: I can't! Besides, won't…won't _he_ be there?

Well…yes…

Kana: *blush* No! I won't go! You can't make me!

See? She won't budge. I'll have to think of some way to trick her into it.

Kana: WHAT?

Or Kyouya will.

Kana: Kyouya will what? What are you two plotting?

I guess you'll just have to wait and find out, along with everyone else….Please review! I do love reviews! Thank you for reading!


	6. 6: Mori's Rabbit

Wow, I can't believe we're on chapter six already! This is much faster than I usually write. I should warn you, I've used up all of my buffers, so this chapter is really all I've written so far. The next update might be a little late, but I hope not too much.

Heheheh….what are Kyouya and I planning, indeed? You will find out in this chapter. Read on, my friends!

* * *

Kana entered the classroom cautiously, looking around for Ayanokoji. She saw her standing in a circle of other girls, but when they made eye contact, Ayanokoji looked away. _Good_. _Hopefully she'll leave me alone, now_. Sighing in gratitude, Kana found her seat and began to rummage through her bag, which to her relief did not contain any stowaway fox squirrels. She pulled out her notebook. _History notes…which are distinctly lacking any actual notes on the subject of history. History textbook…which I haven't even opened. Why does history have to be first period?_

"Good morning, Kana-hime!" Tamaki's voice broke through the dark cloud forming over her head. _He must be a morning person. How else could anyone possibly be that cheerful this early?_

"Good morning, Tamaki," she said, smiling in spite of herself. His presence was comforting, even if Ayanokoji and her cohorts were minding their own business for now. "How are you?"

"I am very well! Nothing like nine hours of sleep and a brisk walk with your dog first thing in the morning to start the day off right!"

"Uh…right." _He gets nine hours of sleep? Who gets nine hours of sleep in high school? _"You have a dog?"

"Oh, yes! Her name is Antoinette! She is _so_ cute! The best dog a man could ever ask for!" He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "Do you have any pets, Kana?"

"Well…yes. Our family owns several horses and barn cats…a couple of goats and rabbits…my mother has some lovebirds…and I have a…squirrel…"

Tamaki's eyes widened. "Wow! So many animals! I bet you must know a lot about taking care of them, right?" He leaned forward a little too eagerly.

"Well…I do know some things…Tamaki, is your dog hurt, or something?" She asked, wondering what Tamaki was getting at.

Tamaki's bright smile suddenly turned to a tragic pose of dejection and sorrow. "Thank goodness, no! I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to my dear Antoinette! No, Kana…it is a dear friend of mine whose pet is suffering. He worries about it night and day. I wonder…since you know something about animals…and since you want to be a veterinarian…if you would possibly consider helping my poor friend by examining his injured rabbit after school today?" He looked at her with huge eyes.

"Um…" _Wow. He's good. Who could possibly say no to that face…? _"I suppose so, Tamaki…"

Tamaki brightened again and he turned toward Kyouya, who had just walked through the door. "Mom! Kana-hime says she'll come and look at-"

"-our friend's rabbit?" Kyouya interrupted, with a knowing smile. "Excellent. Thank you for your kindness, Miss Kasuga. I'm sure he will be very grateful."

He sat down at his desk next to her, and Tamaki resumed his seat as the teacher walked through the door to begin the lesson. Kyouya eyed her open notebook and pencil. "Do you plan on actually taking notes today?" he whispered.

Kana reddened. "Yes…"

"Good. Because this teacher has a tendency to give pop quizzes."

Kana turned to look at him, eyes wide, panic rising in her throat. "_Wha-?_"

But there was no more time for questions. The teacher was giving her a sharp look, and she gulped, turning her attention to him as he started the lecture.

* * *

After school, Kyouya and Tamaki took Kana to see their friend's injured rabbit. Kana was in an irritable mood, particularly towards Kyouya. "You could have warned me yesterday."

"And what would you have learned from that?"

"Well, I would have spent last night learning about the Meiji era. But I didn't, and now in all likelihood, I have failed the first quiz of the semester."

Kyouya shrugged. "You can make that up."

Tamaki looked at her sympathetically. "They haven't been graded yet. You don't really know if you've failed, so try not to worry about it, okay?"

"It's always been this one stupid subject. I'm really good at everything else: math, chemistry, biology, English, home economics…but I'm terrible at history. I don't know why." Kana groaned. "I have so much to make up already…"

"Well, you'd better work hard, then. If you fail history they will remove you from class A and put you in class B."

"_What_?"

Kyouya looked at her in surprise. "Didn't you know? Classes are organized by lineage and academics. Your family is only moderately wealthy, so I assume you must have done very well on the entrance exams, correct?"

Kana nodded.

"But if you do not continue to excel in your academics, you will be moved to one of the lower classes."

Kana considered this troubling piece of new information. _I'm having a hard enough time making friends as it is. I don't want to have to change classes and start all over again!_

"Here we are!" Tamaki announced, indicating the room to their right.

Kana looked up at the sign, which read _Music Room 3_. "He's keeping the rabbit…in the music room?"

Neither of them answered. They opened the door for her, and each of them gave her a little push from behind, forcing her over the threshold.

"Hey! What was that…for…?" She paused, looking around at the little tables, couches, and tea sets which decorated the room. The red-haired twins were lounging on a couch by the window.

"Hikaru! Kaoru! Look what we brought!" Tamaki announced cheerfully, placing a hand gently but firmly on Kana's shoulder, keeping her from running off.

"Oh, what's this?" Hikaru purred, striding over to them.

"A new toy?" Inquired Kaoru, following his brother.

"You brought me to your host club!" Kana cried, looking at Tamaki accusingly.

"Now, now," Kyouya stepped in between Kana and the twins. "Miss Kasuga is not here as a customer or as your toy. She's here to take a look at Mori's rabbit."

"Awww," the twins sighed in unison, shrugging at each other.

"Kana, I'm sorry we didn't tell you we were bringing you here, but you wouldn't have come otherwise, right?" Tamaki asked gently.

Kana blushed. "Well…probably not."

"Would you be kind enough to forgive us, and see what you can do for Mori's rabbit?" he bent down to her eye level, and clasped one of her hands in his. "Please?"

"I-I…." she stammered, looking away. "All right. But I can't promise that I'll be able to do much."

"We don't expect miracles," Kyouya said, taking out his clipboard and making a few notes. "After all, we aren't paying you."

"Oh." Kana wasn't sure how to respond. _Did you expect that I'd want payment?_

"Where _is _Mori, anyway?" Kyouya asked, looking around the room.

"He, Hunny, and Haruhi are checking on the rabbit," Kaoru answered, indicating the door which led into the next room.

"Excellent," Kyouya smiled. "Tamaki, why don't you take Miss Kasuga and introduce her to the others? I'll make sure everything is in order here."

Tamaki nodded, and placed his hand on Kana's back, steering her toward the door.

"I think you've met Haruhi, am I right?" he asked.

"Yes…yesterday. But-"

Tamaki opened the door.

In front of her, crouched around a cardboard box that was filled with hay and cotton balls, were Haruhi, Hunny, and…

"Kana, this is Morinozuka Takashi. We all call him 'Mori'."

Kana stopped breathing for a few moments.

Hunny jumped up. "Kana! It's good to see you again! Tamaki said he was bringing someone to look at Takashi's bunny, but I didn't know it was you!"

Tamaki smiled. "I see you've met Hunny, as well!"

Kana didn't respond.

Haruhi stood. "Thank you for coming, Kana. It's kind of you to do this for Mori."

Mori stayed where he was, crouched next to the box, looking up at Kana.

"Kana?" Tamaki asked her.

_Come on, say something! Anything! They're all looking at you!_

"Um…"

_Okay, anything but _that_._

"I…"

_A polite greeting would be a nice start_.

"Good…"

_Good? Good what?_

"Good…afternoon." She bowed quickly, hiding her face behind a wall of brown hair. _Smooth. _

Tamaki smiled, and then turned to the others. "Customers are probably arriving. We should go now, and let Mori and Kana take care of the rabbit." He looked over at Kana. "You'll be okay, right?"

Kana straightened, and gave a nervous laugh. _No!_ "Yes, I'll be fine."

"Good." With that, he led Hunny and Haruhi out the door and shut it behind them.

Kana was left alone with Mori and the rabbit.

There were several long seconds of awkward silence. Kana tried to think of some way to address him, but every time she opened her mouth to say something, she found she couldn't. _Gosh, I am so pathetic_.

"Can you…help him?" Mori asked, startling her by being the first to speak. He was looking down into the cardboard box, his dark eyes narrowed.

Kana gulped. _That's right. I'm here to help his rabbit. I said I'd do it_. She took a few steps forward and crouched down across from Mori, peering into the box. Inside lay a little white rabbit, shivering slightly, its right front paw tied up in an awkward bandage. Kana reached in and touched the bandage very gently, so she wouldn't hurt the rabbit. "Did you do this?"

Mori nodded.

She bent forward to pick the rabbit up. "May I?"

He nodded again.

Carefully, she pulled the rabbit out of the box and set it on the floor so she could watch its movements. It had a very pronounced limp, but seemed to be able to put some weight on the injured paw.

"When did this happen?"

Mori averted his eyes. "Yesterday morning. I was training outside the school dojo, and I heard something move in the bushes…I think I might have…" He covered his face with one hand. "…hit it."

Kana looked up at him, concerned. _He's really beating himself up about it.._. She turned her attention back to the rabbit. "I'm going to change the bandage, all right?"

Mori nodded, still avoiding eye contact with her.

"Could you…bring me fresh wrappings?"

He nodded again and jumped up, seeming to be glad of the distraction.

She began unraveling the bandages from around the tiny paw. _I'll bet this was difficult…he has such big hands…_Kana felt herself blush, and quickly pushed the thought away. _No, I'll never be able to focus if I start thinking like that!_ When the paw was uncovered, she examined it. The rabbit cried a little at her probing, but Kana could feel no broken bones. Pushing aside the fur, she saw some slight discoloration which indicated bruising, but nothing more. _I don't think it's broken._ She sighed in some relief. _That makes things easier_.

Mori returned with the fresh bandages, and to her great distraction, sat down right beside her to have a better look at what she was doing.

She took the bandages and set to work re-wrapping the rabbit's paw, trying not to think about how she could hear Mori's quiet breathing beside her. Even sitting down, he was much taller than she was, and his presence seemed to tower over her. She gulped.

"I…don't think it's broken," she said quietly.

"Good."

She heard him exhale, as if he had been holding his breath in anticipation of her prognosis.

"It's bruised pretty badly, a minor sprain a worst, but.." She finished tying the bandage. "I think your bunny will be okay." She picked it up, and handed it to Mori, who took it gingerly into his lap and began stroking its ears. "Give it a week or two," she said, smiling a little at the gentle look on his face. _He must really care about animals._

For several long moments, Mori stared at the rabbit, which seemed content to rest peacefully in his arms, and Kana stared at Mori.

"Thank you," he breathed.

Kana started, surprised by the sound of his low voice in the silence. He looked up at her, and she saw him smile for the first time. _He's…smiling at me_. She felt heat rising in her face again, and looked away, not wanting him to see it.

"Y-you're welcome! I'm glad to do it…really." She stood up quickly, and backed toward the door. "I should probably…get going, now…please excuse me!" She bowed, and then turned and left as fast as she could without appearing to be too un-ladylike. When she shut the door behind her, she was met with a room full of girls who all had their eyes turned towards her.

"Who is that?"

"Was she with Mori?"

"Is she a customer?"

"Are they letting us have 'back room' time, now?"

"I want to go into the back room with Tamaki!"

"Isn't she that new transfer student in 2A?"

All ideas of being ladylike went out the window as Kana bolted out of Music Room 3 and out of the building, looking for the car that would take her home.

* * *

Mori emerged from the back room a few moments after Kana left. Several of the customers turned toward him eagerly, hoping for some idea of what went on earlier, but Mori's stoic expression yielded no clues. He glanced around the room, apparently looking for something. One brave girl, a regular customer of Hunny's, walked up to him. The others leaned forward in anticipation. The excitement was almost too much.

"Mori…who was that girl you were with?"

Mori looked down at her briefly, then continued scanning the room. "Kasuga Kana."

"She's that new transfer student, right?"

"Ah."

"What…" she swallowed nervously. "What were you doing in there with her?"

Mori did not respond immediately; before he had the chance, Hunny came bounding out of nowhere and threw his arms around Mori's neck. "Takashiiii! Kana-chan left already. How is your bunny?"

"She said its leg wasn't broken."

"Uwaahh! That's great news!

"Hunny-sempai…" Hunny's customer began tentatively. "Kasuga-san was helping Mori look after his bunny?"

Hunny nodded. "Yep! And it looks like it'll be okay!"

"Ohhhhh…." The other girls chorused. Some of them were a bit disappointed that there wasn't something more scandalous going on, but most began gathering around Hunny and Mori, congratulating them on the happy news. Several promised to bring carrots as get well presents.

Kyouya watched all of these events with a small smile. "Excellent. Happy customers increase profits." He made a small check on his clipboard, and went to refresh the beverages of some of his own customers.

* * *

After dinner that evening, Kana found her parents busily packing for their trip to Europe. Or rather, her mother was busily packing while her father watched a kendo match on television. Kana sat down on the couch beside him.

"Don't you have any packing to do?"

Kyon grinned. "Nope! All done. I'm faster than your mother, because I don't need to pack all the different outfits, shoes, and other girly-"

_WHACK!_ A hairbrush came flying out of the bathroom and hit him in the side of the head.

"Ow! Nice shot, dear!" He grinned at Kana sheepishly. "How was your day? I'm sorry about the town car breaking down. We have a new one for you to use this week while it's in the shop, so you won't have to worry about it while we're gone."

"Oh…" Kana had almost forgotten about the car breaking down. So many other things had happened, most of which she did not want to mention to her father. "One of my classmates asked me to come and look at his friend's pet rabbit. It has a hurt paw. I'm not sure I did much for it, but…" she blushed a little, "…he seemed grateful."

Kyon smiled. "It sounds like you're making some friends."

"Yeah…I guess."

They sat in silence for awhile, watching the television.

"You know, I tried kendo when I was younger," her father said, gesturing to the match they were watching.

"Really?"

"But I got to the point where I just couldn't advance any farther. It takes a tremendous amount of strength, discipline, and patience to master any martial art. It's a mind game, just as much as it is a physical one. I greatly admire anyone who does it at a competitive level."

Kana blinked at the two men on television. They circled each other constantly, sizing each other up, and intermittently testing one another with quick, well-placed blows. Kendo wasn't something she really thought about very much, but she could see why her father admired these professionals.

"Ouran has one of the world's top kendo champions on the high school team, did you know that?"

Kana shook her head. "No, I didn't."

"I think there might be a tournament tomorrow night. You should go. It could be interesting."

"Maybe I will."

Anna poked her head into the room. "Hate to interrupt, but I could really use some help packing, dear…"

"When do you leave?" Kana asked.

"Our plane leaves at 4:30am, so we'll be leaving late tonight, while you're asleep." Anna paused at the look on her daughter's face. "We'll only be gone for a week, Kana!"

"Last time you said that, you were gone for a month."

Kyon put a hand on her shoulder. "I know. And I'm sorry for that, but you know how work is. We're doing something very important. I promise to keep it as close to one week as possible." He hugged her, and so did her mother.

"Get some rest, okay?" Anna said, ruffling Kana's hair. "We'll call."

"All right."

Kana went back to her room, and began getting ready for bed. Flick was already there, sound asleep on her pillow. _Tomorrow I'll come home to an empty house again_. She sighed, and sat down on her bed, stroking Flick's back. He roused a little, and rolled over so she could scratch his belly. "Flick, I think I should look for a club to join, starting tomorrow."

"Chee!" he trilled, snuggling up against her hand.

She smiled. "I'm glad you agree."

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

Okay! We finally got her through the door! She wasn't technically there as a customer, but it's probably the best we can hope for right now. It may be a bit difficult to get her to go _back_, though. Hmmm….

Kyouya: Oh, that's already been taken care of.

It has?

Kyouya. Yes. I knew by the third chapter how to get her to come back.

You did?

Kyouya: Do you doubt me?

No, of course not, Kyouya. I'd never doubt you.

Kyouya: Thank you.

Maybe I'll make an OC for _you_ next time.

Kyouya: *****wicked smile* The hell you will. *walks away*

*Laughs nervously* He's so sweet. No, really, he is. I swear! In an evil sort of way…

Please review! I love reading your thoughts on the story, Kana's character, and how I'm portraying our beloved host club. It really does make a difference!

Until next time…


	7. 7: Clubbing

Finally, chapter seven! We're getting close to halfway through the story, if everything goes as I intend, which it doesn't always.

Enjoy!

* * *

Kana woke to the sound of a blaring alarm clock instead of her father's voice. Groaning, she rolled over and switched it off, lying in bed for a few moments, completely unmotivated to drag herself out and face the world.

"Chee!" Flick complained, scampering around at her feet. He wanted to be fed. Some things in the world would not wait for her to address them at her leisure.

"All right, I'm getting up," she promised, sticking one leg out from under the covers. "See?"

Flick trotted happily to his food bowl, and looked at her expectantly. She wasn't moving fast enough for him.

"Why is it that morning people always have so much energy?" she wondered, dragging herself the rest of the way out of bed and reaching for Flick's food bag. "Maybe I should try being a morning person."

"Chee!" Flick agreed, and proceeded to happily munch on his breakfast.

"I suppose I should eat something too…I wonder if we have any cake?" She quickly washed her face, put on her uniform, packed her schoolbag, and went downstairs to see what she could find for breakfast.

There was still some strawberry cake left over from her mother's fundraiser. The staff looked at Kana very oddly when she requested some, but did not question her. It was delicious, but Kana felt like something was missing. She looked around at the staff members stationed by the table. They looked back expectantly, waiting for her to ask for something. _That's what's missing. Real company._ Suddenly, she missed the little blonde boy who had eaten cake with her yesterday morning.

"When I go to school, you can all take the rest of the day off. Go spend some time with your families," she said, handing her plate to the startled maid.

"But Miss Kasuga…"

"No, please, I insist. Take the day off." She turned to her driver. "I'm ready to go, now. And I won't need to be picked up until later tonight, so feel free to have dinner at home. I'll call you when I need you."

"Yes, Miss Kasuga."

* * *

Kana arrived at class barely in time to sit down before the lecture started. This suited her well enough; she wasn't sure she felt up to speaking with Kyouya and Tamaki just yet after running off so abruptly yesterday. Tamaki eyed her conspicuously. _He'll probably ask me about it. _ _How could I possibly explain to him why I left like that?_ She groaned to herself. _I'm not sure I understand it myself._

Kyouya, however, ignored her completely, in favor of paying attention to the lesson.

Kana made a determined effort to learn something from the history lecture, but found it difficult to follow with so many names for which she had no context. This problem stemmed from more than not paying attention in class the past few days. Without the middle school background in Japanese history, she was lost. Being lost made it difficult to stay focused, and many times she found herself daydreaming in the midst of her half-hearted note-taking. Her thoughts drifted briefly to her parents, who were probably in England by now, but she pushed them away. A picture of a handsome young man holding a tiny white rabbit in his arms inexplicably found its way onto the page.

History was over soon enough, and after it came subjects which were both more interesting and more comprehensible to Kana. She was grateful for something else to focus on, not to mention a reason to put off the inevitable questions from Tamaki. But class didn't last forever, and it was soon time for lunch. As the bell rang and class was dismissed for the hour, Tamaki predictably walked over to Kana's desk as she was putting away her books.

"How are you today, Kana?"

She thought about her parents, and about the embarrassment of running away from a roomful of strange eyes, all turned in her direction, the day before.

"I'm…fine, Tamaki," she said, continuing to rummage through her bag, looking for nothing.

"You ran off pretty quickly yesterday." He knelt down, trying to catch her eye. "Did we do something to offend you?"

She sighed. _He doesn't deserve the cold shoulder from me. He's trying to be nice!_ She looked up, forcing herself to meet his concerned gaze. "No, it's not that. I'm…sorry, Tamaki. I just…I'm a coward sometimes."

His look softened. "Overly-shy, perhaps, but not a coward. We were sorry to see you go. Mori was looking for you."

At this, Kana quickly looked down and felt heat spread all over her face.

Kyouya, who had been silently sitting at his desk with his hands clasped under his chin and his eyes closed, lifted one lid to look at her. Tamaki smiled.

"Your help with the rabbit meant a lot to him, Kana. I think he wanted to thank you."

"He…he already thanked me. I don't need anything else."

"If you would consider coming back, maybe even as a customer…" Tamaki started gently, but Kana cut him off.

"N-no! I can't! Tamaki, I really don't think I could do that…." _I can't face all those girls again. I can't face _him_ again! _

"Why not?" Kyouya asked, finally joining the conversation.

"I just…cant." She looked at them helplessly. "I'm not very good at social…things…like that."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Kyouya spoke again. "The classroom is empty. We should go have lunch if we want time to enjoy our meal." He stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Are you coming, Tamaki?"

Tamaki looked at Kana for a few more moments before standing to join Kyouya. "Yes, I'm coming." Before they went out the door, he paused and turned to her again, this time with a warm smile. "I think you're good at social 'things', Kana. You're a very nice person to talk to. I hope we'll have the opportunity to enjoy your company at the host club again soon!"

With that, they both walked out the door.

Kana spent her lunch period under the big sakura tree again, but she didn't have much of an appetite. _I would really like to spend time with them_, she realized. _But…_ She thought of opening the door to all those girls looking at her, whispering things they thought she couldn't hear. It reminded her of the American boarding school all over again. _What if I say something stupid? What if I can't speak at all, and just stand there like an idiot_? She groaned. _I really am hopeless_._ Things can't stay this way…_

While she sat there, lost in her own thoughts, she once again failed to notice the pair of dark eyes that watched her from the window of the seniors' lunch hall. Mori frowned. This time, she really was by herself.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon came and went without much excitement. Tamaki made one more half-hearted attempt at persuading Kana to visit the host club, but she again declined. He and Kyouya bid her farewell, and went to attend to their waiting customers. Relieved of their efforts and left to her own devices, Kana made her way to the school office to get some information on the kendo tournament which was to take place that evening.

"The tournament starts at six o'clock. Student seating will be available at five, at which time refreshments will be provided," the secretary informed her. "Would you like to reserve a ticket?"

"Yes, please. I'd also like a list of student clubs to explore in the meantime."

"Certainly, Miss Kasuga." The secretary printed off a list and handed it to Kana. There were at least forty different clubs in the high school, ranging from sports-related clubs like basketball and kendo, to gymnastics, art, fine dining, networking clubs, art clubs, the host club, and other oddities. Kana left the office, flipping through the pages. Beneath each name was a description of the club, its officers, objectives, and fees for joining.

"Black Magic Club? What an odd name…" she mused, glancing over the description. "It looks like they meet just across the hall…" curiously, she walked up to the room the list indicated, and opened the door. She was met by several mysterious-looking figures in black, accompanied by creepy music and dim lighting. "Welcome to-"

But Kana shut the door quickly before Nekozawa could finish greeting her. "Nope! That's not a club for me!" Kana shivered and backed away from the door. She was easily spooked by such things.

_Let's try something a little more…tame_. She began flipping through the list again, and her eyes paused for a moment on The Host Club. It appeared to be one of the more popular clubs on the list. She thought about the lovely room, teapots, snacks, and the nice young men who had invited her to attend. She thought about Mori, and wondered what he might be like as a host…and quickly flipped back the page. _I…can't! I need to find something else!_ She told herself desperately. Looking again, she finally came upon a club that looked safe enough. _The Gardening Club. I could be interested in that._

The Gardening Club took place on one of the many verandas on campus. Kana approached the gathering of students cautiously, not wanting to impose too much on their activities. There were no students she recognized, which made her feel a bit better. None of them knew her as the strange girl from America that liked to climb trees and roll around in the grass. As she came nearer, one of the upperclassmen saw her and greeted her enthusiastically. She was holding a potted rose which was just beginning to bud.

"Hello! Welcome to the Gardening Club! Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Yes, I…I'm looking for a club to join…" Kana said, glancing around at the plants. _There are so many!_

"Oh? Does gardening interest you?"

"Well, I enjoy plants, so I thought I'd visit, at least…if you don't mind."

"No, of course not! This is a day for new recruits. That guy over there," she indicated a red-haired boy who had his back to them, "Just asked us the same thing. He's planting bulbs right now, if you'd like to help, Miss…?"

Kana smiled gratefully. "Kasuga Kana. Thank you for the offer; I'd love to!" She went over to where the young man was working and knelt down beside him. "Excuse me…"

"Eh?" He turned to face her, and she nearly had a heart attack. He had one of the most frightening faces she had ever seen in her life.

"Um…I…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to disturb you…" She started to back away, but then realized that the young man was stooping over a spilled bucket of potting soil, trying to clean it up without anyone noticing. He wouldn't make eye contact with her. "Would you…like some help?" she asked quickly, before she lost the courage.

He looked up at her, surprised. "That…that's really nice of you. Thanks."

Feeling more sure of herself (and of him), she bent down to help him scoop up the soil and put it back into the bucket. "You like gardening?" she asked, trying to fill the awkward silence.

He nodded. "It's very peaceful."

_Hmm. He's not so scary_.

"Kasanoda!" A gruff voice sounded from behind them just as they were finished cleaning up the mess. The red-haired young man turned. Kana thought she saw him go a bit pale. Turning as well, she saw an angry-looking 2nd-year student approaching them. He wasn't in her class, so she didn't know his name.

"Sendou-san…" Kasanoda muttered, half to himself.

"Kasanoda, I've had it with you! First you turn my brother against our family, then you rub it in our faces by exhibiting these girly behaviors! Gardening! Visiting the _host club_! Do you know what they're saying about you, Kasanoda? It's shameful for the heir to a powerful yakuza family to behave like thi-" he paused mid-rant, glancing at Kana for the first time. His eyes narrowed even farther. "…you're associating with _her_?"

"What?" Kana asked, bewildered.

Kasanoda stood to face Sendou. "We're gardening. This is the gardening club. I didn't come here to fight."

"If you even remember how," Sendou retorted, still glaring at Kana. "Do you know who this girl is, Kasanoda?"

Kasanoda did not respond.

"Her name is Kasuga Kana, the daughter of a certain _Ambassador Kasuga_. Surely you must have heard what _he's_ been up to lately." He finally turned his gaze back to Kasanoda. "You're a member of what was once a respected and feared yakuza family. Perhaps you'd better decide where your priorities lie. I'll come find you again when we don't have such an audience." Shooting Kana one final dirty look, he turned and marched back into the building, as abruptly as he'd come. The students that had stopped gardening to watch the exchange turned to look at Kana and Kasanoda. The girl who had greeted Kana earlier approached them.

"What was all that about?" she demanded.

Kana shook her head mutely, and turned to look at Kasanoda. He was staring at the ground.

"Just some old rivalries…" he muttered.

"Look, I don't really want to hear about your yakuza business, Kasanoda, and I don't appreciate you bringing it to our club. I'm going to have to ask both of you to leave," she said, indicating Kana as well.

Kana gaped, but seemed to be incapable of responding. She didn't need to.

"She had nothing to do with it!" Kasanoda snapped. Several of the girls shrieked and hid behind their plants. "She was just…in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The girl looked grimly resolute. "You're both in the wrong place. Please leave now, Kasanoda. You too, Kasuga. I'm sorry, but this is a peaceful club, and we can't have any kind of violence going on." She shooed them out of the garden, and they were forced to retreat back into the school building. The door closed pointedly behind them.

"Well, that's that." Kana sighed, wiping off the dirt which had accumulated on her dress. "Kasanoda? Are you all right?"

Kasanoda had turned a violent shade of red, and was leaning with his forehead against the wall. When she spoke, he turned abruptly and bellowed: "EEEHHHH?" He was terribly embarrassed by the whole scenario, Kana could tell, but he was frightening when he did things like that. She tried not to cower.

"It's okay! I didn't exactly have my heart set on the gardening club. But who was that guy, and why did he have such a problem with you?"

Kasanoda appeared to calm himself a bit, and turned to face her, though he had trouble maintaining eye contact. "Stuff like that happens to me all the time. It's part of being a yakuza member."

_Yakuza member?_ Kana thought, looking at him nervously. _Kyouya warned me…_

"Sorry about that guy," Kasanoda muttered gruffly. "His brother is one of my men…ran away from home awhile back to join me. At first, they thought I'd kidnapped him. I guess they haven't gotten over it."

"How is it that he knows of my father?"

Kasanoda sighed. "You probably don't have to worry too much about that. Just…stay away from Sendou. He comes from a bad family."

"Okay, well…thanks for the advice." Kana smiled at him uncertainly, and he gave her an awkward smile in return.

"I'm…really sorry. If he bothers you again, let me know."

"I will. It was nice to have met you."

Turning, they both went in opposite directions, heading for opposite ends of the school. _I suppose I'll be early for the kendo tournament_, Kana thought, as she made her way to the gymnasium.

* * *

When six o'clock finally came, the gymnasium was packed. It seemed like this was a popular event for kendo fans all over Japan, not just members of the school. _It must be because of that kendo champion that Dad mentioned_, she thought. Soon music was blaring over the loudspeakers, and members of the Ouran kendo team were jogging out of the locker room. Each of them wore black kendo uniforms and masks, so Kana could not see their faces very well from where she was sitting. When the tallest of them came out, the crowd cheered wildly. A group of Ouran girls a few rows in front of Kana began screaming incomprehensibly. _He must be the champion_. The young man sat down with his teammates, and they commenced with the tournament.

All the members of Ouran's team were skilled, but for the most part they were evenly matched with the visiting opponents. It was not obvious to Kana who was winning or losing the tournament until it was time for Ouran's champion to meet his first opponent. The opposition did not stand a chance. Ouran's champion struck his first blow as soon as they were given the signal to begin, and that was all it took. The next three matches were much the same.

_He's so _fast!Kana thought, amazed at what she was seeing. He moved very quickly for someone of his size, and his sword strokes carried a lot of power. Some of his opponents did manage to swing at him before he struck, but he dodged their efforts easily. Kana could tell he was the most skilled person in the tournament, even without knowing much about kendo.

When the champion beat his final opponent, the tournament was over, and Ouran had won. Kana stood and cheered with everyone else as the Ouran team gathered around their champion to congratulate him and each other. They began taking off their face masks, and Kana lost her voice in mid-cheer. The world-famous kendo champion that drew all these crowds, the one her father had spoken of with such respect, the young man she had just watched defeat every opponent that faced him, no matter their precision, strength, or speed, was Takashi Morinozuka.

_I had no idea_…she mused, gaping at him. _He's so strong._

The crowds were slowly beginning to dissipate, and Kana took a hesitant step toward the gym floor. Mori was smiling at his teammates as they reminisced about the most exciting moments of the tournament. He didn't say much, but Kana thought he looked happy. _He must really enjoy kendo_. She gulped, and took another hesitant step forward. _I'd like to congratulate him_. Taking a deep breath, she took another step, and another. She was about twenty feet away when Mori glanced up and they locked eyes. Kana froze for a moment. _Don't chicken out again!_ But her feet refused to move. She felt herself beginning to blush. _Stop that!_

To her surprise, Mori started to walk toward her. _Is he…coming to talk to me_?

He never reached her. He had barely broken away from his teammates when he was surrounded by girls. Kana recognized several of them as girls she had seen at the host club during her brief moments there. He stopped, looking around at his adoring fans and stoically taking in their adulation.

_I guess not_. Kana quickly turned away to find the nearest exit, trying not to run there. Her chest felt uncomfortably tight, and she had trouble talking past the lump in her throat when she called the driver to come and pick her up. Once at home, she went straight to bed.

She didn't stay long enough to know that Mori came looking for her after his fans had gone home.

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

And here is the trouble with building a relationship between a shy character and a stoic character: they don't talk to each other! But don't worry; we'll fix that.

Kana: You will?

Yes.

Kana: Are you going to magically rid me of my shyness?

Well…no. I kind of like you being shy. It makes your interactions with Mori so much cuter. ^-^

Kana: *****blushing* H-hey!

No, I'll have to be more creative than that. Certain circumstances (like with the rabbit) can make conversation…unavoidable.

Kana: ….you're making me nervous.

Good. You should be.

Kana: O_O

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter!

Please review! Thanks for reading!


	8. 8: Unpleasant Results

Here it is! Yes, indeed, I do still live. School has started, so I have been busy with that, but I intend to see this project through to completion! Thank you to all of you who have been patient with me throughout the summer and have so patiently waited for and reviewed each chapter. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

* * *

Kana tossed and turned restlessly throughout most of the night. It was always like this on her first night alone; the night noises seemed louder and more threatening when there was no one else around. When the sky finally began to lighten through her window, she gave up on sleeping. She got out of bed and put her uniform on. Flick was awake as well, and seemed delighted at the novelty of Kana being up at such an early hour. He skittered around her room, chasing flecks of dust and swishing his tail happily. Kana put some food in his dish before heading downstairs to have breakfast and make herself lunch.

She was just closing her finished lunch box when one of the maids crept quietly through the front door. It was one of the middle-aged women who usually helped with cooking and cleaning. She jumped at the sight of Kana in the kitchen.

"Miss Kasuga! What are you doing up? The driver won't be here for another two hours, and you look like you're all ready to go to school!"

"I feel like walking to school this morning," Kana said simply, looking around for her bag. She must have left it in her room.

"But even walking, you'll be so early! Do you have some club activities going on?" The maid looked strangely hopeful.

"No, I don't. It's just...it's always difficult to adjust to my parents being gone. I'd rather not be in the house right now." She smiled apologetically, and went to retrieve her bag.

* * *

The walk to school took longer than Kana thought it would, but it was a pleasant morning, so it didn't bother her. There was no rain this time, and no Hunny, either. Kana realized that she had half-hoped she would meet him again.

_I wonder what he was doing at the host club?_ She thought, remembering that Tamaki had treated him as if he were a member. _No...he's too young to be a host! Maybe they're teaching him how to act towards young ladies_...This possibility satisfied her for the moment, but she decided she would ask Tamaki about it later.

Despite the long walk, Kana reached the school grounds a few hours before classes were scheduled to begin. There were very few other students around; only those with extracurricular activities like theatre and sports ever came this early, and then only during busy seasons. It was still early in the year, so the campus was practically empty.

Kana decided to take a walk around the grounds, still trying to familiarize herself with the layout of the school. She knew her way to and from all her classes, but the outside grounds remained a mystery. There were several lush gardens, ponds, and gazebos to explore, but she was drawn to the outer areas, which had more trees and were less well-tended. There were a few scattered buildings in these areas with grass clearings around them, but they were empty and locked, so Kana had no idea what they were for. They could be storehouses. Kana glanced at one of the trees.

_Maybe_...She looked around. There was no one within sight, and students wouldn't be arriving for another hour, at least. She grabbed the lowest branch and hoisted herself up.

_I should study history while I'm here_. She thought, as she settled on one of the broader limbs. She set her bag on her lap and unzipped it.

"Chee?"

"Flick!"

The little foxsquirrel looked up at her innocently. He had snuck inside while she was making her lunch, no doubt. He crawled out of the bag and nestled on her shoulder, curling up into a contented ball.

"Flick..." she sighed, and scratched his ear. "All right, you can stay. Ayanokoji seems to be leaving me alone, now. But don't cause any trouble, okay?"

As she opened the history book, her heart sank. There was so much to learn, and she was so far behind. Absorbed in her own thoughts, and thinking she was entirely alone, she didn't notice the pair of dark eyes that watched her from grassy clearing by the nearest of the buildings. She didn't know that some of these buildings served as training facilities for the martial arts clubs, or that Ouran's kendo champion used this particular dojo every school morning for his personal training.

Mori did not approach her, though he recognized her immediately. She was the girl who had helped him with his rabbit, and who had come and cheered for him at the kendo tournament, even though she sat by herself the entire time. And now she was perched on a treebranch, surrounded by sakura blossoms, with a foxsquirrel on her shoulder, looking oddly dejected over her history textbook. He had wanted to thank her once again for her kindness toward his pet. In fact, he might even be able to learn something from her about taking care of sick or injured animals. But now, when he was sweaty and shirtless from his morning training, was definitely not the time. He ducked inside the dojo to shower and change into his school uniform.

* * *

Kana left her perch, tired of her history book and much more interested in exploring the rest of the school grounds, before Mori emerged again from the dojo. She didn't feel she was learning much from reading. It would be so much easier if someone would sit down with her, one-on-one, answer her specific questions, clarify when she needed it, and generally be more interesting than a textbook. _I could ask Dad to pay for a tutor_...she cringed at the thought. Her father had always declared that there was no problem which could not be overcome with a lot of determination and hard work. He wasn't likely to look favorably on such a request, even if he agreed to it in the end. There had to be a better way.

She passed under the window where she had seen Mori the last few days, and caught herself looking up hopefully. _Of course he's not there_, she chastised herself. _Clubs don't meet until after school. And why am I looking for him?_ Suppressing the answering blush that crawled up her cheeks, she marched determinedly away to nowhere in particular.

Kana was the first person to arrive, though her classmates began trickling in soon after she did. She kept her history book open in front of her, stubbornly attempting to make some sense out of the numerous names and dates, but her brain refused to make meaningful connections between any of them.

"Good morning, Miss Kasuga," a familiar voice greeted her.

"Good morning, Ohtori-san." Kana looked up at Kyouya. He seemed to be amused about something.

"You're reading?" He cocked an eyebrow in mock surprise.

"Yes, I am! Believe it or not, I enjoy reading most books," she protested.

"...Except our history textbook. How long have you spent on that page?"

"I..." She flushed. She had spent all morning on this page.

Kyouya's lips curled up, and he coughed into his fist, suppressing laughter. "I thought so." He started to return to his seat. "I believe we get the results of the pop quiz today," he mentioned casually.

Kana wilted. She didn't want to know what her score was.

"Good morning!" Tamaki cheerfully walked in, greeting several students as he passed. He stopped to talk with Kyouya, animatedly describing some elaborate idea that sounded like it involved Arabian costumes. Before she could figure out anything else, the teacher walked in and the student body president called the class to order.

Ayanokoji and Tamaki were called to pass out the results of the pop quiz. While they did so, the teacher spoke with the class about the results.

"Most of you did exceedingly well on this quiz, as I would expect from Class 2-A. The purpose of pop quizzes is to gauge the general level of understanding and preparedness for upcoming tests. It is my right to expect your full participation in class and maintaining pace with the reading, and this quiz was meant to reflect how well you live up to this expectation. Understanding this, I'm sure none of you object to this score counting toward your total grade. The same will be true of future quizzes, whether they are announced or not. There are a select few of you," Kana could have sworn the teacher glanced in her direction, "who may want to devote more time to your study of the textbook before the test next week. Please review your student handbook for details of the consequences if your grade in this class, or any class, drops below what is expected of A-class students."

A pale, feminine hand with long fingers slid along Kana's desk. She looked up to see Ayanokoji towering over her, quiz in hand.

"I believe this is yours..." she said with a smirk. "Tell me, Kana, did your father use his political influence to get you admitted into this class? Because I don't see how you could have achieved it on your own merit..." This statement was obviously intended to be heard by the majority of the students, several of whom snickered.

Kana glared at Ayanokoji as the taller girl started to walk away. "Haruhi was right," Kana whispered. "It's no wonder he doesn't like you."

Ayanokoji paused, but did not turn around or acknowledge the comment.

Kana sighed, looking wearily down at the score. She had failed the quiz. It wasn't really surprising, but that didn't make her feel any better about it.

* * *

Kana was out of the classroom before the lunch bell finished ringing. She did not want to give Kyouya any opportunity to gloat over her misfortune, such as it was. And she needed a chance to think about how she was going to solve her problem with History. She was already behind in the reading assignments, and hadn't followed half of what she _had_ read. The teacher had implied that more pop quizzes would be forthcoming, and her performance on these would affect her overall grade in the class. If her grade dropped too low, the school would move her to one of the lower classes. Her parents wouldn't like that. Her father had to pull a few strings as it was to get her admitted to Ouran this late in the year, with assurances that she could handle the load, including makeup work. It would reflect poorly on her family if she dropped out of class A. It was also likely that she would lose the constant protection offered by her acquaintance with Kyouya and Tamaki. Kyouya had warned her, too, about yakuza members at this school, like the one she had encountered in her visit to gardening club the other day. _What was his name?_ _Sendou? _

Preoccupied with these thoughts, Kana made her way to the door, intending to eat lunch in the garden and let Flick run around a little bit. She didn't notice the two young men barring her way until she had almost run into them. She stopped short, startled.

"Um...excuse me..." she tried to skirt around them, but they shifted in front of her again. She looked up at them, annoyed. "Did you want something?"

"Just to make your acquaintance, Miss Kasuga," one of them said, chuckling rather unpleasantly. "How is your father these days?"

"My...father?"

"Yes, I heard he's on a little vacation. Have you heard from him recently?"

"He and Mom only left yesterday morning..."

"And did you receive a call informing you of their safe arrival?"

Kana felt her internal organs constrict at his implication. She swallowed. "I wasn't necessarily expecting one. My parents are very busy."

"I'll bet they are," the other young man growled. "Busy making life difficult for some of us!"

"I don't understand..." Kana said, although she was beginning to. She took a step back. She had heard enough from her father to piece together the nature of his current political crusade, and the two young men towering over her had the same tense, hardened look as Sendou. They were very likely sons of yakuza families.

"Why don't you tell your father, when and if you talk to him next, that if he makes trouble for us, we'll make trouble for him?" The young man who spoke first abruptly reached out and grabbed Kana's hand. "We wouldn't want to have anything happen to his pretty little daughter, now would we?"

Kana stiffened, and suddenly stopped backing away. When she spoke, it was in a soft, even tone, but her voice carried a hint of venom. "The sooner he finishes his work at the U.N., the sooner fathers all over the world will be able to rest a little easier, knowing their daughters are safe from the likes of you."

She shook slightly, her body knowing somehow that she was very stupid to stand here and talk back to the sons of such powerful and dangerous families. She pulled hard against the hand that held hers, but her opponent was much stronger. He smiled menacingly, and Kana became very aware of the fact that no one else appeared to be in this particular hallway. Teachers and students were all at lunch. She stopped struggling, took a deep breath, and decided to try a different approach.

"I _insist_ that you let me go."

The two yakuza members laughed. Apparently this was the wrong approach.

"Oh? You _insist_, do you?" He tightened his grip on her hand, digging his nails into her wrist. Kana gasped in pain.

Suddenly, another, stronger hand clamped over the young man's arm, and he released her abruptly. His menacing smile turned into an even more menacing glare.

"Suoh. Ohtori."

Kana turned. Behind her stood Kyouya and Tamaki, both looking more dangerous than what should have been possible for aristocratic boys with pampered lifestyles. It was rather unnerving.

"I think you gentlemen should leave, now," Tamaki suggested, wrapping a protective arm around Kana's shoulders.

"I wouldn't want to have to call any of my...personal reinforcements...to deal with the situation," Kyouya sighed. "It would really be much easier for all parties involved if you would simply leave and never speak with Miss Kasuga again."

Kana was still caught up on "personal reinforcements" when the two yakuza sons turned to leave, scowling and muttering unpleasant things about Kyouya and Tamaki's families.

"Are you all right?" Tamaki asked her, bending to look her in the eye.

"I'm...fine..." She felt a little dizzy. "I think I just need to sit down awhile."

Kyouya nodded. "Let's have lunch, then. You could probably benefit from some food and a glass of water."

They took her to the 2nd years' dining area, which Kana realized she had never actually been in, and sat her down at a table that offered some seclusion from the rest of the students. Kana carefully unzipped her bag just enough to pull out her bento so Flick couldn't escape into the crowded lunch hall. She felt him lick her hand affectionately, and she scratched his ears before closing the zipper again.

Kyouya gave her an odd look as she pulled out the bento, probably because very few students at this school brought lunch from home, but she was too distracted to care at the moment. Tamaki left to retrieve three glasses of water. Kyouya looked around the room absently for a few moments.

"Did they say anything about your father?" He asked.

Kana had only just picked up her chopsticks. She set them down again and turned to look at Kyouya, her worry finally sinking in. "You knew?"

He shrugged. "I guessed. Does your family have security?"

"I don't know. I don't think it's really something we've had to deal with before."

"You should call your father tonight and find out. Those two you encountered today don't come from very powerful families, as far as yakuza goes, but they could still cause trouble for you. There may also be other, more powerful families taking an interest in your father's work. He would be wise to take the appropriate precautions."

Kana swallowed and nodded.

"I doubt you're in any immediate danger, so don't worry too much about it."

"All right. I'll try not to." She picked up her chopsticks again, and nibbled at the rice. Most of her appetite was gone, however, and she gave up when Tamaki came back with their water. He looked dismayed at her lack of enthusiasm.

"Kana, you must eat! Don't worry about those two; they're no gentlemen. From now on, Kyouya and I will watch out for you, right?" He turned to Kyouya expectantly.

Kyouya ignored him, and took a refined sip of the water. "Incidentally, Miss Kasuga, how did you do on that History quiz?"

Kana sighed. She had forgotten about the history quiz in the last few minutes, and didn't want to remember it. "I think you know the answer to that question."

Kyouya shrugged. "I can make an educated guess; nothing more. I'd just like to know whether I'm right."

"You are. And I'm not likely to do better on the next quiz unless I can find a way to make some sense out of the textbook."

Tamaki looked to each of them in turn with a befuddled expression. "What? Kana, are you having trouble with history?"

Kana nodded, then looked down at her shoes, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Kyouya and Tamaki were the two best students in her year. It was embarrassing to talk to them about her shortcomings in this area.

Tamaki seemed to be unaware of her discomfort, however, because his face lit up as if this were the best news he'd heard all day. "I have just the solution to your problem! Kyouya and I know somebody who could tutor you, don't we, "Mom"?"

Kyouya smiled mysteriously. "Of course. I'm so glad you thought of it, Tamaki. Yes, we do know someone. And this person could tutor you without your parents finding out, if that is important to you."

Kana had the feeling that Kyouya knew perfectly well that she _didn't_ want her parents to find out, but didn't say so. "What about payment?" she asked cautiously. "My parents see all my bank and credit card statements..."

"I think we could arrange for something which would involve no financial obligations whatsoever..." said Kyouya thoughtfully, adjusting his glasses.

_This sounds too good to be true_, Kana thought, trying to suppress her eagerness. "All right, what's the catch?"

Tamaki stood and pointed at her imperiously. "You have to be a guest at the host club, starting this afternoon!"

_I should have seen that coming_, Kana thought, making an effort to close her mouth and start breathing again. She couldn't quite keep the squeakiness out of her voice when she spoke. "I-I have to _what?_"

"Visit the host club, as our guest," Kyouya answered. He appeared to be trying not to laugh. "We won't say anything more about our tutor until you have spent a satisfactory afternoon with one of our hosts. I assume you'll be designating Mori?" He started making a few notes on his clipboard.

Kyouya made his last statement so nonchalantly that it didn't sink in until a few moments of silence had passed. Kana then proceeded to turn fire-engine red and sputter incoherently. "I...wait...you...M-M-Mori? B-but..."

Tamaki looked surprised. "Mori? Really? How do you know?" he asked Kyouya.

Kyouya peered at Tamaki out of the corner of his eye, then continued writing on the clipboard. "Just an educated guess. We'll see if I'm right when she regains her voice. For right now, you'd better help her back to class. Lunch is just about over." He tucked the pen neatly behind his ear, put away his clipboard, and returned to class with Tamaki, who was steering Kana by the shoulders.

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

Tamaki: Another excellent chapter, Laleanen-hime! I think our dear Kana is making some progress, ne?

Hm. I'm not sure what you mean by "progress"...she does seem closer to visiting the host club, doesn't she? But you and Kyouya didn't really give her the opportunity to respond...

Kyouya: It's all in the presentation.

I see. And what if she backs out again?

Tamaki: Wait...don't you _know_ what's going to happen?

I do, but I just wanted to see if you two have really thought this through properly. You can't just go around threatening and bribing and manipulating people to get what you want!

Kyouya: I can't? Since when? I've always found those to be very effective tactics.

You...but...oh. That's right. "Damn rich bastards".

Haruhi: Now you've got it.

Kana: Do I get a say in this? At all?

Oh, you'll have a say in it, all right. Whether or not your "say" will have any effect on what happens next is the real question.

Kana: *grumble* We'll see about that.


	9. 9: Welcome to the Host Club

Yay! An update! At long last...Don't worry. The author hasn't died.

Kyouya: And if she had, I would designate a replacement. I would not want to lose my holdings in this project.

Hate to break it to you, but we aren't making any money off of this story. It's fan fiction. Fan fiction doesn't make money.

Kyouya: ...

Great, now he's not speaking to me. You should have read the fine print in our contract, Kyouya.

Oh well. On with the story.

* * *

"Kyouya, Tamaki, I never said I'd come to the host club! You can't just assume that because I need a little help-"

"Oh, come now, Kana-hime, don't be shy! What girl doesn't want the opportunity to be treated like a princess for just one afternoon of her life? It'll be fun!" Tamaki interrupted, gesticulating dramatically.

"Y-you can't make me go! I can study on my own...it's just the one quiz..."

Kyouya smirked, glancing behind her.

"Kasuga Kana, may I speak with you for a moment, please?" their teacher interjected over Kana's shoulder. She jumped.

"I...ah...yes! Of course, sensei!" She scurried off to follow him to the other side of the room, where they could talk without the other students' interrupting. "What did you want to speak with me about?"

"Well, Miss Kasuga, your performance on the last history quiz was...regrettable. I just wanted to make sure you're adjusting to Ouran smoothly, that there aren't any problems."

Kana paled. "N-no! No problems. None at all!"

The teacher peered at her curiously. "Your performance in history could become a problem if you continue this way."

"I know that. I'll study harder next time. History is my most difficult subject, to be honest. I'm not having trouble in anything else."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, you're a sharp student. Normally I wouldn't worry, but considering you've come in late and you have so much makeup work to do, I wonder if you can keep up with the demands of being in class 1A." He lowered his voice slightly. "Your score was on the border, right? They almost put you in class 1B, but your father pulled a few strings?"

Kana felt heat rise to her face, and she took a closer look at the teacher, trying to decide if she could sense any condescension in his attitude. He seemed slightly concerned, and perhaps a little curious, but otherwise unreadable. She stood up a bit straighter. "My history score was the only thing that kept me from being automatically admitted to class 1A. I was well within Ouran's parameters in every other subject. I feel confident that I can pull this off, sensei. I'll do better on the next quiz."

The teacher nodded, tentatively satisfied. "Good. I would hate to have to arrange a meeting with your father and the school registrar." With that statement hanging in the air, he left her to attend to some other students who were waiting to speak with him. Kana stood where she was for a few long moments before turning to see a politely interested-looking Kyouya directly in her path. She glowered at him.

"I've got to have a tutor. Isn't there anything else you'd accept in return for help finding one?"

"Perhaps, but I think you'd like those options even less."

Kana decided not to dwell on that statement for very long. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll be a customer at the host club."

On cue, Tamaki bounded over, and to Kana's utter embarrassment, spun her around like a ballerina. "Kaaaanaaaaa-hime! You will? You'll be a customer for an entire afternoon?"

"_Yes_, Tamaki! Please stop that! I'm getting dizzy..."

Kyouya made a few notes on his clipboard, then checked his watch. "We'd best head over to the club room, then. Tamaki and I need to change before our other guests arrive."

* * *

Kana did her best to forget the fact that Mori would probably be in Music Room 3 when they arrived. Every time she thought about it, she felt an odd tickling sensation in the pit of her stomach. It was disconcerting. _Of course_, she reminded herself, _I was looking for him in the window this morning. But seeing him in the window isn't the same as seeing him in person_...

She could feel the little hairs on the back of her neck sticking up. _I need to think about something else!_ _Who are the other host club members? There's Kyouya, Tamaki, the twins, and...Haruhi. I'll think about Haruhi. He doesn't make me nervous at all. _

As they entered Music Room 3, the twins were just starting to set up.

"Hey, m'lord! Is she a guest? We're not ready yet!" one of them protested, putting his hands on his hips and striding over to look at Kana.

His brother followed. "I think I recognize her, Hikaru! Isn't this the girl that came to help with Mori's rabbit? She's the one that ran off, right?"

"Oi, Kaoru, I think you're right!"

Kana's eyebrow twitched. "I can hear you, y'know. I'm standing right here."

Tamaki laughed and gave her head a loving pat, much to Kana's annoyance. "Yes, this is Kasuga Kana-hime! I finally convinced her to visit our club! It wasn't easy, of course..."

Kyouya made a noise that resembled something halfway between a cough and a laugh. Tamaki ignored him.

"...but I expect you to treat her as our special guest today, understood? She is to be given the utmost respect and care, just as you would give to any of our princesses!" His lecture was given with impressive firmness, but the moment was lost when he suddenly leaped toward the door to the back room to embrace a stiff but tolerant Haruhi, who was wearing a frilly 18th century European costume that was, ironically, designed for a young man. Kana privately thought the getup made him look girlish, but decided it would be impolite to say anything.

"Ha-ru-hiii! You look adorable! Let Daddy see! They even put a ribbon in your hair! It's perfect!"

Kana kept her thoughts about this outburst to herself, as well.

"Tamaki, we need to change, too. Let Haruhi go; you'll wrinkle his waistcoat. Haruhi, fetch Kasuga-san a cup of tea while she waits. She's our special guest today. Try to keep the twins from scaring her off." With these orders fired off in quick succession, Kyouya dragged Tamaki by the collar into the back room to change. Haruhi scurried off as well, supposedly to make tea.

Kana glanced at the twins, who were eyeing her in a way that made her feel very uneasy. She noticed that they were dressed similarly to Haruhi, with three-cornered hats and hair extensions to give them the 18th-century braided look. Their outfits were less frilly than Haruhi's, but they each wore embroidered vests and long coats, black boots, and tightly fitted pants.

"Kana-sempai, you like our costumes today?" Hikaru asked her, posing with a devilish grin.

"I...I guess so...they're very well-tailored. Where did you get them?"

Kaoru's eyes lit up. "Our mother made them! She's a fashion designer." He bowed. "We supply all the host club's costumes. M'lord usually picks them, though."

Hikaru smirked, and leaned toward Kana in a conspiratorial whisper: "We're dressed like this today because he wanted to be Napoleon. Something about his French heritage."

"Er..." Kana backed away from Hikaru, discomfited by his closeness. "Why do you call him m'lord?"

Kaoru took a few steps toward Kana on the other side, effectively sandwiching her between himself, his brother, and the wall at her back. He laughed, apparently unaware that she was feeling uncomfortable. "Because he talks like one, doesn't he? He's so formal all the time, so we call him m'lord."

"Oh...yes, I suppose that's true." She smiled despite herself. "He _is_ awfully formal."

The twins laughed, and they each took another step toward her. And another. Kana felt the wall at her back, and eyed them both warily, unsure of what to do. "Um...don't you need to set up for the other guests?"

"But Kana-hime, _you're_ our special guest!" Hikaru said, leaning over her.

"That's right. M'lord gave us _specific _instructions to treat you with the _utmost_ respect and care..." Kaoru kneeled in front of her, taking her hand.

"Um-! That's okay! I don't need any special treatment! I'm just here to...to..."

"Here to what? What's your type, Princess?" Hikaru asked, mischief sparking in his eyes as he looked down at her.

"I think she's the shy type, Hikaru...look, she's blushing!"

"I...I am _not_!" Kana snatched her hand back from Kaoru and felt her face. It was a little too warm. _Darn it_. _Stupid twins._

"I think you're right, Kaoru. We don't get very many of those; they're usually too scared to come in. Unless..."

"Unless she's a fan of..."

The twins grinned, and leaned over to speak in each of Kana's ears, in unison: "Mori-sempai?"

If it was anatomically possible for steam to shoot out of a person's ears, this is what would have occurred for Kana, as she turned fire-engine red and stammered incoherently at the now-laughing twins.

"No! I...but! That's not-! I haven't-! He's...he's..."

"Hikaru, Kaoru, what are you doing to poor Kasuga-sempai? Leave her alone." Haruhi came to the rescue, shooing the twins away and taking Kana by the hand to lead her over to one of the tables, where there was a cup of hot tea waiting for her.

The twins sighed, deciding that their fun was over, and went to set up more tables for the other guests.

Kana sank gratefully into the cushioned velvet seat Haruhi provided for her, and bent over the steaming cup. "Thank you, Haruhi. This smells wonderful. And thank you for...y'know..." she looked significantly over at the twins.

Haruhi smiled knowingly. "You're very welcome. I'm going to help them set up. Feel free to ask if you need anything else."

Kana watched as Haruhi and the twins finished setting up the room. It appeared that their costumes were not the only 18th century European items; the furnishings and décor matched the theme, as well. Even with her family's more-than-comfortable financial standing, Kana was impressed.

_This club must cost a fortune to run_...She sipped the tea, which was a flavor she didn't recognize. _I wonder if this tea is from that time period as well?_

As she studied her surroundings, the door to the back room opened, and two figures stepped out. Expecting to see Kyouya and Tamaki, Kana turned, intending to ask them about the tea. She opened her mouth, but when she saw who was emerging from the room, her voice died in her throat.

"Kaaaanaaaaa-chan!" Hunny sang, bounding over to her. "Have you come to visit us? For real this time? You're not going to run away again, are you?" he asked, throwing his arms around her waist.

He was dressed in a princely yellow-and-gold costume, obviously designed for wearing to court, and his blond hair was pulled back into a short braid at the nape of his neck. He was, if possible, even cuter than usual, and his huge brown eyes stood out starkly against all the yellow, making them look even wider and more child-like. Kana would have melted if she'd noticed. But her attention was fixed on the tall figure that was slowly approaching in Hunny's wake.

Mori was dressed in a dark blue military uniform decorated with gold and silver medals. The overcoat, which tapered behind him and was knee-length at the back, emphasized his broad shoulders. One of his gloved hands rested on a gleaming sword at his hip, and he walked with the stern grace of an experienced soldier. After a few moments, Kana realized she had forgotten to close her mouth. She did so with a gulp.

Finally noticing the short figure wrapped around her waist, she looked down. Hunny was gazing up at her expectantly.

"Um..." she said, gently prying his arms open and detaching him. "Hunny..."

Hunny blinked at her hugely, reminding her of Flick.

"...you're not a _member_ of this club, are you?"

Hunny burst out laughing. "Of course I am, Kana-chan! Didn't you know that?"

"But aren't you a little...young...to be...?"

"...to be a host?" asked Kyouya, adjusting his collar as he emerged from the back room. "Hunny is a senior, Kana. He's eighteen."

Kana looked disbelievingly at the boy in front of her, who was now humming tunelessly to himself and shifting from foot to foot with a huge smile on his face. On a child, this would have looked cute and innocent, but looking at him as a high school senior, he seemed...

_Smug?_

"Hunny, are you really a senior?"

Hunny laughed and winked at her, then bounded over to Mori. "That's what I tried to tell you, Kana-chan! I'm a senior! I'm in the same class as Takashi!"

Kana glanced from Hunny to Mori, trying to conceive that they were somehow the same age. Her mind couldn't wrap around it. After a few moments, Tamaki emerged from the back room as well, dressed, as the twins predicted, very similarly to pictures Kana had seen of Napoleon. He looked as handsome as he usually did, but Kana had the feeling that Tamaki would somehow make a paper sack look elegant. It was one of his particular quirks.

"Now that we're all ready, shall we attend to our guests, gentlemen?" Kyouya said, pulling out his clipboard. Kana blinked at him, realizing that he, too, wore hair extensions today along with a heavy brown tailcoat and brass-buckled shoes. The ensemble looked very scholarly and suited him rather well. At the moment, he seemed to be smiling at her...evilly.

"Kana, since you're our first guest, why don't you designate your host for the afternoon?"

Kana flushed and glanced around at the circle of young men. The twins were nudging each other with knowing grins. She gulped, trying not to look at Mori. _What do hosts _do_ with their guests, anyway?_

"Don't you have a preference?" Kyouya prodded, twirling a pen between his fingers.

"Um..." Kana stalled, looking around for inspiration. She stole a glance at Mori, who was leaning casually against a wall, head slightly tilted, eyeing her curiously. She quickly looked away. _I don't think I can do this..._

"I don't mean to rush you, but we _do_ have other guests at the door. So, if you'd hurry and make your decision, _princess_..."

"Why are you being so pushy with her, Kyouya?" Haruhi interjected, frowning. "This is her first real visit. The least you can do is give her a little time to make up her mind."

_Perfect! There's my solution!_ "Actually, I think I know who I'd like to designate." Kana said, smiling in relief.

Kyouya frowned slightly. "Oh? And who is that?"

"Fujioka Haruhi!"

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

Well...that was unexpected.

Kyouya: ...

She really showed you, didn't she, Kyouya?

Kyouya: ...

What are you going to do now?

Kyouya: ...

Um, hello?

Kyouya: I...am not accustomed to this kind of outcome.

What, the kind where things don't go exactly your way? Little wake-up call, buddy. That's the way the world works sometimes.

Kyouya: Not _my_ world. I'll just have to adjust some calculations.

"Adjust some calculations"? Is Kana a _math problem_?

Kyouya: You'd be surprised at the similarities between people and numbers. They're both very predictable.

Hmph. We'll see about that. I guess we have a little more prodding to do if we're ever going to get these two together. It might be impossible, but I'm willing to keep trying if you are.

Kyouya: Laleanen, I do not "try". I succeed. This is only a minor delay to our inevitable victory.

Kana: Don't make me sound like some kind of business conquest! It's weird...

Kyouya: Like two companies, utterly oblivious to the mutual benefits they could reap if they were to engage in a merger...all they need is a little push...

I have to say, Kyouya, you've reached a new level of creepy with that statement.

Kyouya: I am here to serve. *evil smile*

Right. Anyway. On to the next chapter...

Thanks for reading! Please review! I love reviews. Tell me what you liked/would like to see/etc.


	10. 10: The Chase

"Haruhi, don't you want any cake?" Kana asked, reaching for a second helping.

Haruhi laughed. "No...no, thank you. I don't really like sweets very much. But I'm so glad you like it! Have as much as you want!"

Kana smiled, licking a bit of frosting off her fork. Visiting Haruhi wasn't bad at all. In fact, she might learn to like the host club if it was always like this. The cake was delicious. _Though Kyouya sure looked shocked when I picked Haruhi. Ha! Serves him right, trying to manipulate me like this..._She glanced over at Kyouya, who was avidly punching numbers into a calculator while scratching notes on his clipboard. Vexation hung over him like a dark cloud. Kana suppressed a giggle.

"Kasuga-sempai, you transferred to Ouran from America, right?" Haruhi asked, standing to pour Kana some more tea.

"Oh...yes, I attended a boarding school there."

"What was that like?"

Kana frowned slightly, gazing into her tea as the steam rose between them. She blew softly against the rim of the cup, and took a slow sip. "It wasn't as wonderful as it could have been."

Haruhi sat down beside Kana, pouring his own tea. "Why not?"

Kana sighed. "Being around all those girls all the time was a little difficult. Some of them weren't very nice..." she trailed off, uncertain about whether she wanted to continue.

Haruhi sat quietly, listening with concern. The room suddenly seemed too crowded, and Kana was acutely aware of the girls sitting around nearby tables, whispering and giggling amongst themselves as they awaited their turn with the host of their choice. Her eyes drifted to Mori's table, where he was pouring tea for one of his customers, sparing a rare smile at something she said. The girl nearly swooned out of her seat. Kana tried not to do the same.

Haruhi cleared his throat, bringing Kana abruptly back to reality.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Where was I...? You don't want to hear about my boring old school, Haruhi!" She said, laughing nervously.

Haruhi didn't laugh. He seemed to be confused about something. Then he shook it off, smiling again and leaning forward. "We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to. But I'm really curious—do you speak English?"

This question caught Kana off-guard. "Oh! Uh...yes, I do. Why?"

Haruhi perked up. "That's wonderful! I've always wanted to learn to speak English fluently. I'm in the advanced English class, but you can learn so much more from a person who has actually lived in the country, right?"

"I guess so...I didn't know you were interested in learning English, Haruhi..."

Haurhi smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear self-consciously. Again, Kana had an irresistible impression of _girliness_ coming from him.

"Yeah, I really like it. Do you think you could give me some pointers?" he asked.

"Sure! What would you like to know?"

"Ah...wait..." Haruhi said, feeling his shirt pocket. "I'd like to write this down." He frowned. "Oh...I forgot. _Somebody _hocked my pen on the club website..." he said, with an ice-cold smile. It appeared to be directed at Tamaki. Kana glanced at him. He was peering over the back of a couch, watching them with a suspicious amount of interest. Or rather, watching _Haruhi_ with a suspicious amount of interest. When Haruhi turned toward him, glaring daggers, Tamaki quickly ducked out of sight.

_That was odd..._Kana looked around the room to see if anyone else had noticed this exchange. Her eyes found Mori, who was also looking toward Tamaki, as if he had been watching, too. Then he turned toward her, and his eyes widened slightly. The tanuki scurried out of the back room and began sniffing around his feet, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Kasuga-sempai?" a voice asked.

She gulped, feeling her face grow hot. _Why is he looking at me like that_?

"_Kasuga-sempai_?"

She turned abruptly to see Haruhi looking at her with one eyebrow raised.

"S-sorry...yes?"

"I was just wondering if I could borrow a pen...?"

"Oh! Of course! Just a minute..." She quickly opened her backpack, trying to cover her embarrassment. A bundle of red fur leapt out.

"Chee!"

_Oh shoot._

Haruhi stood up, so surprised that his chair tumbled backwards behind him. The noise frightened Flick, who skittered out of Kana's hands and across the floor. The customers, who had been such quiet, delicate young ladies only a moment before, burst into a flurry of activity.

"What is that?"

"Is it a mouse?"

"EEEE! A MOUSE!"

"That's not a mouse!"

"Where did it come from?"

"Tamaki, save me!"

"Quick, somebody catch it!"

The tanuki also noticed the commotion. A foxsquirrel had suddenly imposed itself upon his domain, and without an invitation! He took it upon himself to teach Flick some manners, and ran off in pursuit. Mori dived after him over a table of snacks, but only succeeded in catching a couple of croissants, one of which he shoved into his mouth.

Kana ran after Flick, tripping over sakura petals and a stuffed bear in her haste.

"Gosh DARN it, Flick! Come back here!"

"Pome!" Mori commanded sharply, presumably addressing the tanuki.

Neither animal appeared to be interested. Flick was tearing around the club room in a panic, inciting screams from the confused customers (some of which were still convinced he was a large mouse and were taking refuge on top of the white tables). Tea spilled and chairs overturned in his wake as customers and hosts alike stepped out of his way or attempted to catch him as he zipped by. Pome, who was bigger, did more direct damage to the expensive tablecloths and flower pots as the chase continued both over and under the furniture. Kana and Mori were the most destructive forces of all. Mori ripped a tablecloth and an entire tea set off a table Pome had jumped on, spilling food everywhere but failing to catch the tanuki. Flick made a sudden change in direction which Kana copied by skidding across the polished floor in her black-soled shoes, leaving graceful black arcs streaked across the white marble.

Pome closed in on Flick just as Mori was closing in on Pome. Flick bolted for the nearest couch, jumping on the seat and making to jump over the back. Kana leaped after him, throwing herself lengthwise over the arm of the couch in an attempt to intercept him from the side. She missed. Flick made it over the couch, followed immediately by Pome, followed immediately by Mori. Kana crashed into Mori just as Mori crashed into the couch, and all three toppled over backward with a resounding _CRASH_.

There were several moments of silence.

"Chee?"

Kana, who had been face-down on the back of the couch (which was now on the floor) looked up to see Flick sniffing her with concern.

"You're a lot of trouble, you know that?" she said, glaring at him.

The couch groaned and moved beneath her. She looked down, startled, and found herself gazing into a pair of dark eyes that were so close she couldn't see the face to which they were attached. But she knew whose they were. Her mouth opened. No words came out. The realization that she was _lying on top of Mori_ slowly and painfully began to dawn on her.

"Are you...okay?" a deep voice asked. It seemed to be coming from somewhere just below the eyes.

"I...I..." she felt her face growing warm. Too warm. Something in her snapped and she tried to get up too quickly, tripping over her dress and falling onto Mori's chest again.

"I-I'm sorry..." She moved again, but this time a strong arm encircled her waist.

"Wait." He sat up, pulling her with him. "Are you hurt?" He released her, but rested his hand softly on her shoulder in a gesture of concern.

"N-no..." Kana swallowed, staring at the floor.

Mori stood up and extended a hand to her. She looked at it, feeling herself flush again and trying not to make eye contact. Slowly, she reached for his hand, hers trembling more visibly than she wanted it to. He clasped it, and easily pulled her to her feet.

"Um...thank you..." she snuck a glance at him, and realized he was staring at their hands. He frowned slightly, but didn't let go. Kana felt as if she would melt into the floor.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Mori asked, locking eyes with her. "You're shaking."

_I'm...what? Oh, no...how many people just saw that...? _Without thinking, Kana snatched her hand away and took a step back. "I'm fine!"

"Glad to hear it. But the music room isn't. Care to explain what just happened?" a disturbingly polite and tight-lipped Kyouya asked, approaching them.

Kana looked around the room. The place was an absolute wreck. Tablecloths and decorative doilies hung about the furniture in disarray. There were tea stains on the carpet, and black skid marks on the polished dance floor. Crumbs and broken scones were everywhere. The animals, apparently having forgotten about their earlier disagreement, happily nibbled on a bit of cake that lay on the floor. Kana gulped and scooped up Flick.

"I'm sorry..." she said, grabbing her bag and dropping Flick inside. "I'm...really sorry..." She glanced at Mori, blushed furiously, and fled from the room.

* * *

"Well _now_ you've done it," Kaoru said, glaring accusatorily at Kyouya. "She's run off again!"

Kyouya did not respond. He was busily taking notes and punching numbers into his calculator, presumably adding up the cost of damages. Tamaki was apologizing to customers and seeing each of them off. Many of them seemed to think the whole chase was an elaborate show put on by the host club. Some even complimented Tamaki on his ingenuity. Upon hearing some of their comments, Kyouya glanced up, then crossed out a few of his notes and wrote over them.

The sound of high-pitched laughter was heard above the chatter. The floor shook as a small, circular platform emerged out of the ground, bearing a chortling girl with a large pink bow.

"Renge," Kyouya acknowledged, taking in stride the fact that she had just popped out of a non-existent hole in the floor. "Just the person I wanted to see. What is your assessment?"

Renge giggled. "Kyouya, _DAR-ling_. That was fantastic! What an exciting chase! And the way the hosts protected everyone from the terrifying rodent, allowing their guests to jump into their arms, just like in the old black-and-white romances..." Renge swooned for a moment, reminiscing over something. "And then the grand finale...Mori taking the spotlight as a self-sacrificing hero, throwing himself beneath the lady to break her fall..."

"_That isn't really what happened..._" Hikaru muttered.

Renge ignored him. "It was...it was..._MOE!_" she squealed. Several of the lingering guests gazed at her, starry-eyed and nodding. Whether or not they thought it at the time, they were now perfectly convinced that the whole event was the most romantic thing they'd ever heard of. The excitement was almost too much.

Kyouya wrote furiously, one corner of his mouth upturned. Then he turned back to Renge, smiling pleasantly. "Thank you, Renge. That was most helpful."

Renge curtsied. "Anytime, of course." Then she lowered back into the floor, which sealed as though she had never been there.

Kaoru scratched his head. "Sometime, I'd love to know how she does that."

Hikaru shrugged.

As the last of the guests left, the hosts began cleaning up the club room. Haruhi was about to find a broom to sweep up the mess, but stopped when she noticed Mori staring at the door.

"Mori?"

He didn't respond, but glanced at her out the corner of his eye.

"Are you worried about her?"

Mori looked at the floor, frowning slightly. "Ah."

Kyouya strolled over. "Don't be too worried. After all, she's the one who made this mess and then ran off, right?" He sighed. "Honestly, and I was trying to help her..."

Mori stiffened.

"She could have at least stayed to help clean up, or offered to pay for damages. As it is, it's going to have to come out of the club budget. I could always send some of my men to collect from her, I suppose..."

Mori stood up straighter, interrupting. "_I _ will pay for damages."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "You?"

"Yes. Leave her be."

Haruhi glared at Kyouya. "What's the matter with you? First you drag Kasuga-sempai here, against her will, and then you scare her off again! What are you trying to accomplish by tormenting her like this?"

Kyouya smirked. "She opted to visit the host club on her own free will. Besides..._I'm_ not the one who scared her off..." He looked significantly at Mori. "I'll send you the bill, Mori, once I have everything totaled." With that, he strolled off to correct the twins in the placement of the now-upright couch.

Haruhi glanced at Mori. He looked completely deflated.

"Haruhi..." he murmured. "Am I really that scary...?" Dramatically, he slumped to the floor. "Did I frighten her off? Even Kasanoda said I was terrifying."

"Um...ah..." Haurhi stammered, trying to think of something encouraging to say. "Well, you're a little scary sometimes, Mori, but-!" she stopped, realizing that this line of conversation was only making him more depressed. "But I don't think she's scared of you because you're _scary_, per se..."

Mori glanced up at her, looking confused. "Why else would she be scared of me?"

"Ummm..." Haruhi thought for a moment, not quite sure how explain this, or whether it was her place to do so. An idea struck her. "Well, maybe we could ask her that, Mori-sempai! Would you like me to go talk to her and make sure she's okay?"

Mori brightened a little, nodding. "Thank you, Haruhi."

Haruhi smiled, and left the music room to find Kana.

_Now where would I go if I were really embarrassed and frightened? Oh! I'll bet I know where she went..._

* * *

In the girls' bathroom, Kana lay on her back on one of the plush divans. She stared at the ceiling, playing the scene from just a few minutes before over and over again in her mind. She covered her face with her hands.

_Why did I run away like that? It makes it so much worse..._

Groaning, she rolled over and buried her face in an expensive-looking pillow.

_Mori smelled nice..._

_AGH! Stop thinking like that!_

_But he did. And he looked awfully handsome in that costume..._

She whimpered, defeated by her own thoughts. There was no denying that she was attracted to him. And had utterly humiliated herself upon realizing it.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Kasuga-sempai?" a voice asked.

Kana looked up, startled. Poking his head through the doorway to the girls' bathroom was-

"_Haruhi_? What are you- this is the girls'- why are you here?"

Taking this as an invitation to come inside, Haruhi walked in and sat down on the divan beside Kana.

"I came because I was a little worried about you. And actually...so is Mori-sempai. Why did you run away like that?"

"Um..." Kana looked away, mortified. "I don't know, exactly."

"Are you scared of him?"

"What? No, I...it's not that."

Haruhi sighed. "I didn't think so. Then what is it?"

Kana swallowed, but didn't answer.

Haruhi sat in thoughtful silence for a few moments. "Kasuga-sempai...why did you designate me?"

Kana looked surprised. "What? What's this...all of a sudden...?"

Haruhi laughed lightly. "It's not that I didn't enjoy your company, but I got the sense that I wasn't really the person you wanted to spend time with. You kept getting distracted, and I noticed that you were watching Mori most of the time."

Kana flushed, cringing in embarrassment. "Was it really that obvious?"

"Well...yes."

Kana groaned, covering her face with her hands again.

"Look...this isn't really any of my business, but...wouldn't you be a lot happier if you spent time with the people you really like?"

Kana didn't respond for a few moments. Then, she slowly lowered her hands. "I guess I'm a little scared of the people I like." She admitted, smiling sadly.

Haruhi looked confused. "Why is that?"

"When I was in middle school, I had trouble making friends. It was an all-girl boarding school, so that was the only place I could meet people. There was a group of girls I really liked, but..." she trailed off, apparently lost in the memory. Haruhi sat quietly, waiting for her to finish.

"They weren't who I thought they were. They pretended to be nice, and then talked about each other behind the other girls' backs. I didn't like it, but when I said something, they ostracized me." Kana laughed, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "I was too different, anyway. I'm messy, and I'm clumsy. I didn't fit into the mold of graceful young ladies the school was trying to produce. And I was a foreigner. I'm half-Japanese, but I only lived here for the first few years of my life, so I sometimes feel like a foreigner in Japan, too. I really don't fit anywhere." She glanced at Haruhi, then laughed again. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to ramble so much! You really didn't need to know all that..."

"No, please don't worry about it," Haruhi interrupted, looking earnest. "I've never really experienced something like that, but I think it's important for you to know...the host club guys aren't like that at all. They're weird and annoying sometimes, but for the most part, they stick together and help each other. And I know the girls at Ouran seem gossipy, but some of them are really sweet and soft-hearted. Like you."

Kana was taken aback by this speech, but recovered after a few seconds of stunned silence. Then she smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Haruhi. That's comforting to know...and it means a lot to me."

Haruhi nodded, standing to leave. "We'd love to have you again at the host club, Kasuga-sempai. And next time, why don't you designate the person you like the most?"

Kana blushed and decided to politely ignore this invitation. "Please...call me Kana, if you would. It would make me feel more comfortable."

Haruhi smiled. "Of course, Kana."

After he left, Kana unzipped her bag, pulling Flick out. He trilled and nuzzled up to her, begging to be scratched under his chin. "That was nice of Haruhi, wasn't it, Flick? He made me feel a lot better." She laughed. "It must have taken courage for a guy to search the girls' bathrooms like that. Although, he seemed perfectly comfortable in here..." She paused, reflecting on Haruhi's earlier interactions with Tamaki. _I wonder why...he seemed so_...

"Chee!" Flick interrupted, looking at her pleadingly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Flick! You must be hungry. Let's go home and get you some dinner." With that, she packed Flick snugly back into her bag, and didn't give the matter any more thought.

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

Y'know, Kyouya, one of our readers recently pointed out to me that your heart turns to pudding when melted. Care to comment? (Thanks, Rainspiral!)

Kyouya: I..._what_?

You're heart is cold. Like ice. It gets softer when it melts. Like pudding.

Kyouya: Ice...does not...turn into pudding. Ever. No matter how much you melt it.

But I like the imagery of you having a heart of pudding.

Kyouya: First of all, I hate sweets. Second of all...that's just ridiculous. Can we talk about something else?

Okay, _Pudding_. Let's talk about how you're little scheme to get Kana into the host club went.

Kyouya: _Did you just call me...? _Never mind. It didn't go exactly according to plan, but I was able to improvise with the given situation.

Wasn't she supposed to designate Mori?

Kyouya: Yes. She surprised me with her stubbornness. I assumed that her attraction to Mori would win out over her fears.

Well, fear is a pretty powerful thing. And Haruhi's pretty safe, wouldn't you agree?

Kyouya: Being female gives Haruhi an aura of safety that attracts many of our customers, whether they know it consciously or not.

So...Kana designated Haruhi instead of Mori. Flick got out, and there was a huge mess which is going to cost you a lot of money. You were kind of a jerk about the whole thing. What part of this went well?

Kyouya: *smirk* You didn't notice? Oh, well. All in due time.

Please review! I liked Rainspiral's comment so much, I decided to include it in my little dialogue with Kyouya. I just had a thought...if you have any "fan mail" you'd like to send to any of the characters, via the review box, please feel free! (This includes advice, proposals, suggestions, and sarcastic remarks!) I'll pick my favorites and Kyouya and I (or anyone else you'd like to send them to) will respond to them. I can't guarantee I'll use them all, depending on how many we get, but I'd like to try it if it's something any of you are interested in.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Until next time!


	11. 11: Let Them Eat Cake

My dear readers, I am so sorry for being so long in updating this story! Christmas break was really busy, and so is school. I want you to know that I have no intention of abandoning this story (I know it happens a lot on this site), so even if it takes me...*wince*...a month to update, please know that I am reading your reviews and will most likely return to writing soon.

Now, first order of business: Kyouya-kun! We have a question sent in by the readers!

Kyouya: ...? *raises an eyebrow*

It's from KageNoNeko:

_I think it is very interesting that Haruhi's name, when I looked up its meaning, was listed as a name for girls, not both genders (and there are a lot of those names in Japanese from experience). If someone knew the gender a name is traditionally used for, they should have been able to guess Haruhi was a girl. Right, Kyouya?_

Kyouya: Yes, I was aware of that. Do not ask me why people are so dense. Obviously, I knew Haruhi's true gender from the beginning.

:sweatdrop: I thought of that, too...but chose to ignore it. My thought is, Kana and the other girls are simply too polite to allow themselves to think such inconsiderate things, such as "my really nice host and new transfer student is actually a girl." Of course, people like Ayanokoji should want to capitalize on it, but for some reason they fail to notice. Maybe it's not that uncommon...sort of like a girl being named Tohru (a boy's name!)?

Kyouya: Since you're not Japanese, I guess you wouldn't know.

Ah...no, I wouldn't. Sorry! Maybe we should ask Bisco Hatori sometime. ^^; Also, remember that in one of the earlier manga, the twins altered a photo of Haruhi to look like a shirtless guy. It lends her disguise some credibility, I think.

More reader fan mail following the chapter! ^_^

* * *

When Haruhi returned to the club room, she was tackled by one overzealous sempai.

"Haruhi! Where did you go? Daddy was worried!"

"Ah...ouch! Sempai, let go! I'm fine! I just went to check on Kasuga-" she hesitated, remembering Kana's preference for being called by her first name. "_Kana_-sempai." She amended.

Mori looked up from his seat by the window.

Tamaki put her down. "And how is our new princess?" he inquired, suddenly somber again.

"Is she ever planning on coming back?" Kaoru asked, raising a cynical eyebrow. A dismayed expressed passed over Mori's face as he looked to Haruhi for her report.

"Well, I don't know if she plans on coming back. I didn't ask her. But-!" She hurried on, realizing that this news was not comforting to any of her listeners. "She's all right. She isn't hurt or anything. She was smiling when I left."

Mori gave Haruhi a small, grateful smile. He still wasn't convinced that he hadn't scared Kasuga-chan off somehow, but at least Haruhi was able to diffuse the situation. He felt a slight tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Hunny's huge brown eyes gazing up at him with concern.

"Takashi? She'll come back. You'll get a chance to thank her later."

"Ah." Mori nodded. Mitsukuni was usually right. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he must have done something to make Kasuga-chan run off like that. He would have to find a way to make it up to her, whatever it was. Then he could thank her properly for healing his rabbit.

* * *

Of course, Mori really _was _at fault for Kana running off, though not in the way he seemed to think. But Haruhi had done her job well; Kana left school feeling positive and with considerably less anxiety than when she was first dragged to the Host Club. As she waited for her driver to come pick her up, she began to reflect on some of her other, more pressing concerns.

_I hope Mom and Dad arrived in England all right. I think I'll give them a call tonight and check up. _

She reflected on her unnerving encounter with the yakuza boys at lunch.

_And maybe ask Dad if it's time to hire more security_.

* * *

Later that evening, Kyon was reassuring but evasive.

"Don't worry about us, Kana-chan. We are very well-protected at the embassy. They have security here like you wouldn't imagine! But what about you? Would it make you feel better if I hired a few more men to guard the house? Or I could arrange an escort for you at school..."

"Dad, _please_. I'm fine. I don't want to attract that kind of attention. I think those yakuza boys were just bluffing, anyway." _At least, I hope they were_. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and that you and Mom are being careful. You _are_ being careful, right?"

"Just as careful as always!" He announced cheerfully.

Kana sweat-dropped. "I'm not sure that's reassuring..."

Her father ignored this comment. "We're working on drafting a proposal for the U.N. right now. The way it's going, I think we'll be able to come home within the week."

"Okay..."

"Thanks for the call, Sweetie. Mom says to tell you she loves you, and to meet some boys while we're gone and you have a good opportunity." Kana could practically hear him winking over the phone.

"_Dad!_"

He laughed as he said goodbye.

Kana hung up the phone, ears burning. Of course, he teased her more to diffuse her anxiety than anything else, which would have been sweet if it wasn't really, really embarrassing. She pressed her forehead against her bedroom wall.

She had decided not to mention the threats directed against herself, because if her father had taken them seriously, he might have flown straight home and abandoned the important work he was doing. Or worse, sent her to another boarding school. Flick looked up drowsily from his spot beside her on the bed, and she scratched his ears.

"No more boarding schools, Flick. I think I want to make the best of it at Ouran." With that, she turned off the light and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

With all the excitement of the previous day, Kana slept long and hard, waking up at a much more reasonable hour. Still, she refused to allow the driver to take her to school, preferring the time to think that walking afforded her. Many of the streets were lined with sakura trees in full bloom, and she enjoyed the way the pink petals floated lazily toward her. She noticed a small, unoccupied playground on her way, with an inviting swing set.

_No time to stop today, but that would be a nice place to gather my thoughts._

Lost in this pleasant reverie, Kana did not notice the approaching shadows of two girls walking up behind her. At least, not until they had caught up and were pressing on either side of her in a way that made her extremely uncomfortable.

"You Kasuga?" The blonde one asked, smiling unpleasantly.

Kana looked over and was surprised to see both of them wearing Ouran uniforms.

"Um...yes...is there something I can do for you?"

The other girl, a redhead, laughed. "You bet there is, Kasuga. You can tell your Daddy to stay out of our business."

"Out of your...?" Kana started to ask, confused, and then remembered the yakuza boys from yesterday. She stopped. "Oh."

"You got lucky yesterday," the blonde girl continued. "Your playboy friends were there to throw their weight around. Next time," she stepped in front of Kana, blocking her path. "You might not be so fortunate."

Kana paused, sizing up the taller girl. She could probably run for it, but then she'd arrive at school sweaty and a mess, which would do little to improve her already-failing popularity. Besides, the shoes required for the girls' uniform were almost impossible to run in. She would have to ditch them, and add "came to school without shoes" to her list of crimes against ladyhood. In the end, it wouldn't solve anything (they'd find her later), and only cause her more problems. Nix that idea.

She could actually pack a pretty good punch. For a moment, this prospect was appealing (that awful, condescending smile would look much nicer with a few teeth missing), but she ruled it out quickly. The other girl was bigger, obviously stronger, and had her friend for backup. Kana had no chance to succeed in a fight.

Sighing, she decided to try something more diplomatic. She smiled up at the blonde. "Thanks very much for the warning. I'll take it into consideration." She then attempted to side-step around her slightly surprised opponent.

"Wait a minute!" The redhead protested. "We're not through warning you!" Suddenly, she grabbed Kana by the hair and pulled her roughly backward.

Kana grunted in pain, and said half-heartedly, "We'll be late for class, y'know..."

"Idiot." The blonde girl said, and kicked Kana in the shin.

It all happened very quickly. One minute, Kana was being kicked and tugged, trying to protect herself by wrapping her arms around vital areas and ducking her head, and the next minute she heard yelling. The two yakuza girls all but dropped her as they ran off. Kana straightened, clutching the back of her neck where her hair had been pulled, and looked around for her rescuer. A young man with a shock of red hair and a frightening face hurried toward her. His look of concern could have been mistaken for a snarl, but Kana had seen met him before, and greeted him with a grateful smile.

"Kasuga-san, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Kasanoda. Thanks for rescuing me." She smoothed down her ruffled hair, and looked down at her shin. It was throbbing a little bit, and there was a large bruise forming, but no other damage. She started walking on it, which hurt just a little, continuing on her way to school. Kasanoda hurried after her.

"Kasuga-san...you should be more careful. Why are you walking to school by yourself?"

"I find it soothing..." Kana said, laughing a little at the irony. "Besides, it's good for your health, right?"

"Not if someone roughs you up along the way..." Kasanoda said, his eyes narrowing more than usual. "Seriously, Kana, you shouldn't be walking by yourself right now. You could get Kyouya or Tamaki..."

"I couldn't ask them that! And how did you know I was friends with Kyouya and Tamaki anyway?"

Kasanoda blushed. "Well...I was worried about you, so I went to talk to Kyouya about it. He seemed concerned, too. Well, as concerned as Kyouya ever gets, anyway."

"Concerned? Kyouya?" Kana asked, suddenly taking Kasanoda a little more seriously.

Kasanoda lowered his voice. "Sendou, the guy you met at Gardening Club, has been sending these people after you to scare you into making your father come home."

Kana stopped, glaring. "I _will not_ interfere with my father's work. He's doing something important; something that will help everyone, not just Japan. As long as _he_ isn't in danger, I'm going to support him." She turned and kept walking, this time with a more determined step. _Besides, I don't want to be sent off to another boarding school because he's worried about me. _Kasanoda fell silent for a few moments, disconcerted by her emotion.

"But...won't he be hurt if something happens to you?"

Kana smiled tightly. "Only if he finds out about it."

* * *

"_Pleeeeeeeaaase_?"

"No!"

"You didn't even stay for 15 minutes!"

"I told you, I'm not going back!"

Kyouya peered over his glasses at Kana and Tamaki, who were arguing over her returning to the host club. Tamaki's tactic did not appear to have any effect. Sighing, Kyouya decided to step in. It was difficult to enjoy lunch when his companions were being so noisy.

"Remind her that she agreed to be a customer for an entire afternoon, or else no tutoring."

Kana whirled around to glare furiously at Kyouya. "But-!" she stammered. "But it was so embarrassing last time...I don't think I can..."

"You checked your bag to make sure your...pet...did not accompany you to school today?"

"Yes..."

"Then you may come."

Kana squinted at him, unsure as to when this became an issue of obtaining Kyouya's permission.

"It's settled!" announced Tamaki with a dramatic arm gesture. He gave Kana a wink and a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you just have to spend the entire afternoon with a host. Then we'll set you up with an excellent tutor."

Kana blinked. She wasn't quite sure how she had agreed to this.

Oh yeah, because she needed to pass history.

_Fine._ _I'll figure out a way to get through it._

"All right, I'll come again today. But this is the LAST TIME, okay, Tamaki? And if anything horrible or embarrassing happens, the deal's off."

Kyouya nodded, scribbling something in his notebook. "Agreed. We will look forward to serving you again this afternoon, Kasuga-_hime_."

Kana ducked her head, wishing she didn't blush so easily.

"By the way..." Tamaki began, his tone becoming suddenly serious. "What _did_ happen to your leg? I heard Ayanokoji and the others making...comments..."

_Crap. I wanted to avoid drawing their attention to that._

"Oh! I was...climbing trees again. Nothing big!" She laughed, hoping it sounded convincing.

Tamaki narrowed his eyes. "Those yakuza boys haven't bothered you since yesterday, have they?"

"No," Kana replied truthfully.

Kyouya cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing. He glanced at Tamaki, who looked tentatively relieved.

"Well...that's good. Let us know if they do, okay?"

"Mmm-hmm." Kana nodded, feeling guilty for some inexplicable reason.

The lunchbell rang, saving her further interrogation, and the three of them put away their lunches and made their way back to class. Kyouya tarried a few steps behind them, pulling out his cell phone.

**To: Kasanoda**

**From: Ootori**

**Subject: Kasuga**

**Message: Tell me what happened this morning.**

Kyouya hit '**Send**' and shoved the phone back in his pocket, quickening his pace to join Tamaki and Kana before they noticed anything.

* * *

"So, who will you be designating for today?" Kyouya asked, clipboard in hand, as he, Tamaki, and Kana made their way down the hallway to the Third Music Room.

"Haruhi," Kana responded automatically.

The corner of Kyouya's mouth twitched. "I'm sorry. Haruhi's schedule is full for this afternoon. Are there any..._other_ hosts...whom you might like to spend time with?"

Tamaki perked up. "Yes, Kana-hime! Which of us strikes your fancy?" He pushed open the door to the Third Music Room with flourish. "You seem like you'd go for the princely-type...whaddya say?" He scratched his chin with a sly smile.

"Uhhhh..." Kana blinked at him. _I'm not sure I'd...survive..._

Hikaru and Kaoru looked up curiously when the door opened, and smiled like cats when Kana was ushered inside. They glided over, elbowing Tamaki out of the way.

"Two for the price of one!" Kaoru chimed. "That's a commoner saying Haruhi taught us, right Haruhi?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Haruhi said, barely looking up from his book.

"If you're hungry, we could make a Kana-hime sandwich!"

"I hear it goes especially well with Darjeeling tea..."

Kana backed away very slowly, stopping suddenly when she felt firm hands on her shoulders.

The twins walked away, laughing.

"Or perhaps..." Kyouya said in a low voice, steering Kana toward the large bay window at the back of the Music Room, "You prefer the wild type?"

Kana's eyes turned into large, brown saucers. Perched casually by the window, awash with sunlight, cradling a black and white kitten in his arms, was Mori.

Apparently today was not a cosplay day, because all the hosts were wearing their Ouran uniforms, but Mori wore his with the shirt unbuttoned at the top and the jacket open.

When he glanced up and saw Kana, his eyes widened just slightly, and the corners of his mouth twitched in what might have been a smile.

"Konnichiwa."

The room suddenly became very warm. Kana was aware that the eyes of all the hosts were on her, but she seemed to have forgotten how to speak. And she couldn't remember what Kyouya's question was. Had he asked her a question?

"Um..."

"Should I take that as a 'yes'?" Kyouya asked, still standing behind her. She could hear the smile in his voice, and it snapped her back to reality.

_Oh shoot...how long have I been staring?_ She blinked, glancing around for inspiration. _I can't request him as a host! What am I thinking? I wouldn't last five minutes, and I'd probably embarrass myself, do something stupid, or the other customers will make fun of me, or_...

"Kana-chan! You came to visit again!" Said a happy voice from somewhere close to Mori. Standing beside him, with pink flowers dancing around his head, and a pink stuffed rabbit in his arms, was her little blonde savior.

"Hunny-sempai," she said softly, a small smile forming on her lips.

"What?" Kyouya asked, as if he heard her but couldn't quite believe his ears.

Kana turned to face him. "I'd like to designate Hunny-sempai as my host for the day," she announced confidently.

For a few moments, Kyouya looked back at her expressionlessly.

"That's okay, isn't it?"

Hunny bounded up beside her. "Hooray, Kana-chan! We can eat cake!"

Kyouya smiled slowly. "Yes, of course it's all right. I'll leave you to Hunny, then." With a small bow, he walked away, glasses gleaming creepily.

* * *

"...and chocolate, chocolate-cherry, tiramisu, strawberry, carrot cake, cheesecake, blueberry cake, and confetti cake. What are _your_ favorites, Kana-chan?" Hunny asked excitedly.

"Well...I like German chocolate..."

Hunny nodded sternly.

"And strawberry cake..."

He nodded again, taking this discussion very seriously.

"And white cake with raspberry filling. Those are probably my very favorites."

Hunny's face broke into a bright smile. "I like those, too, Kana-chan! And so does Bun-Bun!" They laughed together, unconcerned about the strange looks they were getting from other hosts and customers for such a serious discussion about different kinds of cake. Kana was truly enjoying herself. Hunny made for a surprisingly attentive host, and he seemed to really like the company of all his customers. A few of them came and went while Kana was there, and she found them to be generally nice and friendly. None of them were in her class, and very few of them knew who she was. They accepted her presence without reproach or even jealousy that she was monopolizing the time of their favorite host. Most of these girls were used to sharing Hunny's attention, and their love for him was not possessive.

"Are you having fun, Kana-chan?" Hunny asked, looking hopeful.

Kana smiled. "Yes, I am! Thank you for being such a wonderful host, Hunny!"

Hunny smiled back, apparently pleased with himself. "Oh, oh! I have an idea! Kana-chan, would you like to meet Takashi's new kitten? He's _reeeaally _cute! We just found him yesterday!"

"Kitten?" Kana asked, letting her excitement show without thinking. Before she could say anything more, Hunny called Mori over.

"Takashi? Can Kana-chan meet Kuri?"

Takashi looked up from where he had been reading by the windowsill. He wasn't typically as busy with customers as the other hosts. He nodded, gently picking up the sleeping kitten and bringing it over.

Kana blushed heavily and became very interested in her cake, which did not escape Hunny's notice.

"Isn't he cute, Kana-chan?"

"_What?_" She asked a little too suddenly, nearly spilling her tea.

Hunny blinked at her innocently. "Kuri, Takashi's kitten! Isn't he cute?" He gestured to a little black and white ball that was nestled in the crook of Mori's arm. Mori slowly approached Kana, then kneeled in front of her to place the kitten on her lap. Kana gulped.

"He's...he's really cute." She said softly, stroking the kitten's ears. He yawned and stretched, and then tried to play with the red bow on the front of her uniform. "Ack!" She laughed, playing with him, trying to discourage him from climbing up the front of her dress. It didn't work.

Mori smiled. "He likes you."

Kana laughed, for a moment distracted enough not to be embarrassed by Mori's attention. Kuri made his way to her shoulder. "Hey..._hey!_" she giggled, trying to bat his ticklish whiskers away from her ear. "Stop that!" She gave a small shriek, to which Kuri responded by leaping off her shoulder onto the table, overturning a cup of steaming-hot tea onto Hunny's lap.

Hunny yelped, backing away from the table and doing a funny-looking dance. Mori quickly scooped up his kitten (muttering "Bad Kuri..."), and then attended to his cousin. Kana leapt to her feet, mortified.

"Hunny! Are you all right?"

Hunny began to whimper.

"Oh, this is all my fault...let me take you to the nurse, okay?"

All the ruckus had attracted the attention of the other hosts.

"Hunny? What's wrong?" Tamaki asked, running up to them. Haruhi was right behind him, looking concerned.

"H-h-hot tea..." Hunny blubbed out.

"Tamaki," Mori said sternly, holding out Kuri. "Take this."

"Uhh...sure, Mori..." Tamaki said, tentatively receiving the kitten.

Mori then proceeded to scoop Hunny up in his arms and bolt out the door, presumably to the nurses' office.

"Kana-hime, what...?" Tamaki turned to ask Kana what happened, but she had disappeared.

"Oh, _no_..." Kaoru groaned, walking up behind Tamaki and Haruhi.

"She's run off again," Hikaru sighed.

Kyouya frowned, jotting a few notes on his clipboard. "How unexpected..." he murmured to himself.

* * *

In fact, Kana _had _run off, but was not running away. She had chased after Mori as soon as he left with Hunny. Of course, with Mori's longer legs and greater motivation, he soon outran her, leaving her to follow at an increasing distance. She soon lost sight of them.

_It's my responsibility, I have to at least make sure Hunny's okay_...she thought guiltily. _Now I _really _can't go back to that club. I hope Kyouya and Tamaki count it as an "entire afternoon"_...

She made her way through the maze of hallways, only getting lost once or twice, and finally arrived at the nurses' station out of breath and disheveled.

"Is...is Hunny-sempai here?" she gasped as she turned the corner into the waiting area. The only person in sight was Mori. He looked up at her, eyebrows raised.

"You ran all the way?" he asked.

"I...got lost a few times..." she muttered, looking at the floor and trying to smooth her hair. "I've never been here before.

"Ah." He nodded once, then returned to what he had been doing before, which was staring determinedly into space.

She gulped. "I'm...I'm sorry. I was careless. This is my fault."

"No," Mori said quietly, but seemed disinclined to elaborate.

Kana took a few tentative steps toward him. "Sure it is...I shouldn't have let your kitten climb on me like that. I know better."

"I should have trained him not to."

Kana raised an eyebrow. "Hunny said you found him yesterday. You expected to train him to behave in one day?"

Mori didn't respond.

Kana looked at him thoughtfully. He looked lost, sitting in that big room by himself, staring at nothing. Kana could tell Mori and Hunny were close, but Mori's devotion was unexpected. She wondered if he was like this for everyone who was important to him.

The thought made her blush, and she remembered that she was staring mutely at a very attractive young man. She cleared her throat, trying to think of something to say to fill the awkward silence.

"I think Hunny will be okay..." she said softly.

Mori glanced up at her. "Mm," he responded.

"Um..." Kana began tentatively, somehow gathering the courage to come closer. "I...I went to the kendo tournament..."

Mori sat up a little straighter, looking directly at her.

Kana blushed, and almost lost her nerve. _No! I wanted to say this, and now I'm going to _say_ it, before I lose my chance again!_ "Uh...I thought...I mean, I think...y-you did a great job..." _Argh! Stupid stammer..._

The corners of his mouth twitched.

_Was that a smile? It's hard to tell_...

"Thank you," he said in a low, soft voice.

"Mm," Kana said, looking the other way and turning red again. _Well, this can hardly get any more awkward..._She heard him move, and suddenly he was standing next to her. She turned, eyes wide with shock as he bowed to her respectfully.

"And thank you for rescuing my rabbit. You have a gift with animals," he said solemnly.

"Wha-I-y-you don't have to..."

He shook his head. "Please, accept my thanks."

Kana wavered for a moment, feeling a little dizzy at his earnestness. "I...you're welcome. Of course. Anytime."

At that moment, a nurse poked her head out of the exam room.

"Hunny will be just fine. It was only a minor burn; it should clear up completely in just a few days."

Mori turned to her, his eyebrows narrowed slightly. He nodded once.

Kana smiled in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. May we see him?"

"Yes, of course. Come right this way," the nurse gestured to both of them to follow her inside the exam room. Kana stepped forward first, to Mori's bewilderment. When they entered the room where Hunny was resting while ointments soothed his skin, Kana rushed to the side of his bed.

"Oh, Hunny-sempai, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault!"

Hunny smiled up at her. He obviously felt better now that his burns had been attended to and he had another large slice of cake by his bedside. "Don't worry, Kana-chan! Kittens can be a little _too_ playful sometimes; isn't that right, Bun-Bun?" he asked, pretending to spoon some cake into his stuffed rabbit's mouth.

"I'm so glad you're okay..." Kana continued apologizing profusely until Hunny offered her some cake and had her hold Bun-Bun. Meanwhile, Mori watched their interactions with a deepening twinkle in his eyes. Hunny occasionally turned to him with a silly comment or question, to which the answer was almost always "Ah." Kana did not speak to him or look at him at all, except for a few tentative glances and one shy smile.

* * *

When Kana left, and Mori returned to the club room to gather his and Hunny's bags, Kyouya was still there. The other hosts had visited Hunny and gone home already, but the "shadow king" appeared to have some work to do on the club budget and activity planning. Mori acknowledged him with a nod, then went to check on his pets.

"Mori-sempai, I have a favor to ask of you," Kyouya said abruptly.

Mori stopped and turned, curious. Kyouya did not often speak to him, much less request anything. It must be relatively important. Mori's eyes narrowed slightly. _Or some sort of plot_.

"There is a student in my class that could use some help with history," Kyouya continued. "Since you're particularly good at that subject, I figured you would be a good choice to tutor her. Would you be willing to do that?" He did not so much as look up.

Mori nodded slowly. "Ah." It sounded harmless enough.

"It would probably be after our club activities sometime, possibly at her house. For a variety of reasons, she'd prefer to keep these tutoring sessions confidential. I assume that is not a problem for you."

"No," Mori agreed. He was a good secret-keeper, and it was not at all difficult to imagine why someone in Kyouya's class would want to keep academic difficulties secret. Pressure to keep up appearances of perfection were high at Ouran.

"Good. I'll let you know when she's ready." Kyouya turned to Mori and gave him a smile that was unreadable.

Mori nodded again, turning back to the task of gathering his and Hunny's belongings. He put the conversation out of his mind for the time being.

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

Hooray! Things are finally starting to get moving! I'm excited for the events to come. But Kyouya, didn't Kana thwart your plans?

Kyouya: What do you mean?

I mean...you obviously intended her to pick Mori as her host. She didn't. Are you just going to follow through on your promise to her?

Kyouya: Are you insinuating that I do not fulfill my promises?

No! No-I...er.

Kyouya: Good. I will follow the rules of our contract. But we will see what happens.

Sounds like you have everything under control, as usual. So, turning back to our fanmail!

Several people were inclined to comment on the pudding discussion. Anything you'd like to add?

Kyouya: No.

Too bad.

From Melodie Lyric Jones:

_Tell Kyouya that there's nothing wrong with having a frozen dessert food as a vital organ. It just proves that he's cold and heartless on the outside, but sugary and... still cold on the inside!_

Kyouya: ...thanks. I think.

I'm not sure if that was a compliment.

Kyouya: I will choose to take it as such.

Suit yourself...oh, Tamaki! You might want to listen in on this one.

Tamaki: Me? Really? I got some fan mail? Hooray! What do my dear, lovely fans wish to tell me?

Well, maybe you'd better read it first...

From Sinario:

_Since Kyouya's heart is frozen pudding, and Tamaki's heart is always soft... Wouldn't that mean that Tamaki's heart is all gross and stuff because it's a bunch of old pudding? Unless it's jello...  
Hehe, jello..._

Tamaki: :cultivates mushrooms: My...my heart is "gross"...

There, there. Maybe your heart is made of jello, like she said...

Tamaki: :perks up: Of course! I have a heart of warm jello! Warm, _strawberry_ jello! :looks at Haruhi significantly:

Haruhi: Jello melts when it's heated, Sempai...

Tamaki: :goes back to cultivating mushrooms:

Aw, c'mon, guys...you know how sensitive Tamaki is! Maybe you could send him some words of encouragement. I can't have him all depressed for my story!

Kyouya: ...it really isn't that hard to cheer him up. He recovers quickly. It's nothing short of amazing, actually.

Until next time! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! ^_^


	12. 12: Weekend

Hello again! Time for another chapter. And frankly, I can't find Kyouya anywhere. So instead, I'm doing my introduction with Mori! Isn't it exciting?

Mori: ...

...okay. You're as talkative as usual, I see. Seriously. That's part of the problem I'm having with you.

Mori: *cocks eyebrow*

You're a difficult character to develop! You never say anything!

Mori: Sorry.

Okay fine. I'm sure the readers are wondering: What do you think about Kasuga Kana?

Mori: *blinks, expression unreadable*

_Well_?

Mori: She's good with animals.

Sigh. Well, I think that's all we're going to get out of him, folks.

Reader fan mail at the end of the chapter!

* * *

Kana sat on her front porch swing, facing east, waiting for the sun to rise. It was a chill morning, and she shivered slightly from the cool breeze that swept through her nightclothes. Still, she waited. As a light began to grow in the east, she could hear the faint sound of birdsong rise to greet it. The music was soon accompanied by the gentle flapping of wings. Many wings. And clucking. In fact, a whole flock of chickens raced toward her from the east in a flurry of white wings and frantic clucking just as the sun burst over the horizon in a dazzle of blinding light. The chickens passed her, and in their wake, amidst a shower of white downy feathers, stood a dark silhouette. Kana inhaled sharply. He was tall, taller than she remembered. He took two steps toward her, then stopped. She took a step toward him. The sun rose just enough for her to see his face, his dark, luminous eyes, a small half-smile on his lips as he reached out a hand to help her off the porch-

"KASUGA-CHAN!"

Kana sat bolt upright, startled to find herself in her own bed, clutching her pillow tightly.

_Oh my goodness_..._I was_..._was I_..._dreaming_..._about_...?

"_Kasuga-chan_." A servant stood over her with a worried look. "Thank goodness! I was shaking you, but you didn't wake up! I was getting ready to call a doctor..."

"I'm...a heavy sleeper..." Kana said, trailing off as she realized how she must have looked. She released her pillow abruptly. It dawned on her that she had, indeed, been dreaming about Mori, with some very embarrassing emotional effects.

The servant sighed, relieved, not seeming to notice Kana's discomfiture. "Forgive me, I know it's Saturday, but your father _insisted _we get you up for breakfast, you know how he is..."

Kana went bright red for no apparent reason that the servant could tell, and stammered too quickly, "Yes, _yes_! I'm up! I'll be down in a moment! Just...just let me dress first!"

The servant quickly closed the door and hurried away, thinking it odd that Kana seemed so flustered. She was not normally one to be concerned about a matronly servant seeing her in her bedclothes, but who knew? Teenagers went through odd phases at times.

* * *

After recovering from the embarrassment of her dream, and eating breakfast as ordered by her father via the servants, Kana quickly dashed off to spend time in her favorite place: the stables. Flick remained cozily curled at the foot of her bed; he was accustomed to sleeping during the day, either in Kana's room or in her schoolbag.

"I should really do homework..." Kana mumbled guiltily to herself. A second, more powerful voice in her mind argued that it was only Saturday, and that she had all day today and tomorrow to think about homework. For now, she missed her horses and the other animals on the estate.

The Kasuga estate was home to hundreds of animals: rabbits, goats, alpacas, and an assortment of barn cats in addition to Kyon's prize collection of purebred horses. It was an odd deviation from the typical exotic and spoiled menagerie kept by many of Japan's most wealthy individuals (especially those families associated with Ouran Academy), but, to put it simply, Kyon kept his animals because he and his family enjoyed them.

Because they enjoyed the animals, Kyon, Anna, and Kana helped tend to their needs. Kyon was a believer in hard work, and insisted that Kana help the stable hands muck stalls and clean tack when she had the time. Her help was not necessary, but it served as a valuable lesson, and Kana enjoyed being near the animals. She had missed that when she was at the American boarding school.

One corner of the estate did betray the Kasuga family's wealth: Anna's greenhouse aviary. More than fifty assorted exotic birds flew freely within the compound, along with brightly colored plants and assorted climbing structures designed for the birds' amusement. It was here that Kana visited first. She laughed as she was greeted by a great deal of squawking and other bird noises.

"Yes, I've brought food. Come on down!" She called, holding out her palms with bird seed. Not all the birds ate birdseed; many drank from the flowers. But a few colorful South American birds flew down from their perches and alighted on her outstretched arms, nibbling at the food happily. They did this for everyone, of course; Kana was not some sort of bird-whisperer. Still, this had always been one of her favorite morning activities during the summers she stayed with her parents.

When the birds had eaten their fill, Kana went to visit the horses. Some of them probably needed exercise, and the trails around the estate made for excellent riding. Excited to be able to ride again for the first time since school started, she started off at a run, relishing the feeling of not wearing the restrictive Ouran uniform, not worrying about the restrictive Ouran rules, and forgetting completely about whether or not there were twigs in her hair.

She slowed, however, as she went by the goat pasture and was met with a troublesome sight: one of the new mothers was bleating frantically in the direction of a rosebush on the edge of the field.

"What's wrong?" she called out to it, hopping the fence and jogging closer. The concerned mother goat bleated anxiously in response. Kana quickly closed the distance between them and looked around. She soon spotted the reason for the mother goat's distress. Her kid's tiny bleats emerged from within the blackberry brambles lining the fence. Kana knelt down and peeked through the thorns. There, the little goat lay on the ground with its back leg stretched out behind at an odd angle. Looking closer, Kana realized that it had been tangled in a stray piece of barbed wire from the fence.

"Well, you've certainly gotten yourself into a predicament, haven't you?" Kana chided, laying on her stomach and wriggling under the thorns where she could reach the goat. She felt her shirt snagging, and the thorns dug into her bare arms in a few spots, but she was able to get to where she could untangle the barbed wire.

After much struggling, scraping, and kicking (the frightened kid managed to strike Kana once in the face, which, she thought with chagrin, would leave a lovely bruise for her classmates to gawk at on Monday), Kana managed to free the kid from the barbed wire. She emerged rather the worse for wear, with several scratches from the blackberries and barbed wire, as well as several bruises, and one particularly tender area around her right cheekbone that she knew she should ice right away. But she wasn't finished with the goat.

"Oh, no you don't..." she said, apprehending it as it tried to walk away. It nearly tripped over the pronounced limp that was the result of the barbed wire digging into its back leg. "I'm going to bandage that, whether you like it or not." Kana hoisted the goat over her shoulders, grasping it by the legs so it couldn't kick her again. The mother bleated anxiously at her. "Don't worry, I'll bring him back," Kana reassured her. Then, she made her way back to one of the barns, where she kept a stash of supplies for occasions such as this.

After about thirty minutes of washing, disinfecting, and bandaging, the little goat was ready to be returned to its mother. "Check on it regularly, will you?" Kana asked one of the stable hands. "Let me know if the limp isn't better by tomorrow, or if the bandage comes off. It should only take a few days to heal." She washed her hands in the basin by the tack room, cleaning her scraped arms and using an antibacterial soap to ward off infection. Then, she made her way back to the main house to ice the bruise on her face and tackle the homework she'd put off all day.

* * *

Kana had only just procured an icepack from one of the maids and was about to crack open her history book when the phone rang. A maid answered, and called her over.

"It's your mother," the maid whispered urgently.

Kana grabbed the phone, and the maid politely left the room. "Mother? How are you? When do you think you'll be ho-" Her mother cut her off.

"Kana-chan, I'm afraid I can't talk very long. First of all, I need you to promise me you won't worry..."

Kana felt her fingers turn to ice as she clutched the phone more tightly to her ear. The tone in her mother's voice, though calm, contained none of its usual cheerfulness. It indicated that there might be plenty of things for Kana to worry about.

"What's wrong, Mother?"

"I just wanted to let you know that your father and I won't be in touch for a few days. We're being moved to an undisclosed location. Even we don't know exactly where."

"What? Why? Are you in trouble?"

"I really can't say any more over the phone, dear. It's supposed to be a secure line, but...you never know."

Kana bit her lip, trying to control the pounding in her chest.

"Listen, I know you didn't want to have extra security, but we're sending it anyway. Just in case, okay? And it will only be temporary. You won't even know they're there...your dad hired some really good guys to watch the house."

By "to watch the house" Kana knew her mother meant "to watch you". Kana sighed, trying to sound irritated rather than scared.

"Don't worry about us, okay? We're in really good hands. This is very important work..."

"_Mother. _I know that!"

"I know you do. All I want you to do is focus on school, okay? We worked really hard to get you into Ouran so you wouldn't have to go to boarding school. I know you can do it. Make us proud."

Kana swallowed the lump in her throat as she thought about her plummeting history grades.

"I have to go now, Kana-chan. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mother. Tell Dad, too, okay?"

"I will. See you soon."

_Click_.

_Soon? How soon? A week? Two? A month? _Kana didn't hang up the receiver until it started beeping insistently. _Extra security. An undisclosed location. We've never had to do this before._ Of course, the family had discussed the measures they would take in case Kyon was ever in dangerous political waters, but that scenario wasn't supposed to become a reality. Kana slumped into the chair by the phone, holding the ice pack to her throbbing cheek.

"Miss...Kasuga? I heard you hang up...is everything okay?" the maid stepped timidly back into the room.

"I'm fine..." Kana sighed. She felt herself on the verge of tears, and she hated crying in front of the maids. "Tell everyone they have the rest of the day off. And tomorrow, too."

"What? But your father said..."

"Never mind. Some things have changed. Just take the day off, please. It will be good for all of us."

The maid murmured a "yes'm" and left the room.

* * *

Kana tried to study her history book, but every time she finished the page she was reading, she realized that she didn't remember a word. Her mind drifted to her parents constantly. She knew she wasn't supposed to worry, but..._how am I supposed to not worry when I know they might be in danger, but I can't see them or talk to them?_ She sighed, looking at the clock. It was nearing midnight, and she'd hardly made any progress. She had spent most of the day riding, trying to do anything to put her parents out of her mind. Eventually, when it started to rain, she went back inside and tried to study, but found herself distracted and unable to concentrate. She'd only read one chapter, and barely remembered any of it.

She tried sleeping, but kept having nightmares about her father being assassinated, or her mother held hostage as political blackmail. Eventually, at about five a.m., she went into her parents' bedroom and climbed into their bed to sleep. At last, she fell into a dreamless stupor, not waking again until Sunday afternoon. Sunday was then spent frantically doing homework for her other classes. She didn't even look at her history textbook until nearly midnight. She couldn't sleep, having woken up so late, and decided to read as much as she could before bed. Two hours turned into four, then five. It was, surprisingly, the most productive she'd ever been in history. While she still struggled to remember the names and dates, a few key historical events did stick out in her mind; she remembered them from the quiz she'd failed. It was not much progress; it would not get her a passing grade on the next pop quiz, but it was progress.

By the time she closed her book, it was five-thirty a.m. Kana glanced out the window. Dawn was just beginning to creep up on the horizon. Rubbing her eyes, she decided that it was too late to get much sleep anyway. She washed up, changed into her yellow uniform (the long-sleeved version; even though it was warm, she didn't want to advertise the scratches on her arms from the escapade with the goat), grabbed her books (making sure Flick was not stowing away in her bag) and began walking to school.

* * *

Mori arrived at school at 6:15 a.m. for his morning kendo training. This was his favorite time of day; he, unlike Hunny, was an early riser. Provided that he got enough sleep the night before (sleep was very important for Mori), he usually woke up around 5 a.m. every day to feed and play with his animals, eat a healthy breakfast, meditate, and train before school.

While the Morinozuka estate had ample grounds for Mori's training, he preferred to use Ouran's facilities during the school week. First, because it was convenient to be already at school when he was done, and second, because there were fewer people using Ouran's training dojos that early in the morning. The Morinozuka family was famous for their kendo style, and the dojos at the estate were often occupied with people training in kendo and other various martial arts. Mori preferred to do his personal training in solitude.

However, this morning Mori's training would be interrupted. As he approached, he was surprised to see a butter-yellow something sprawled out on the dojo's back lawn. He drew nearer, cautiously, as was his instinct, and was even more surprised to find Kasuga Kana curled up in the grass, cradling her head in one arm and clutching her bag with the other. An open book lay beside her. She was sound asleep, accumulating sakura petals in her hair and on her dress. The effect was rather picturesque, and Mori found himself staring, slack-jawed, for a few moments.

He shook himself mentally, and began to quietly approach her. Upon further inspection, the book appeared to be the 2nd years' history textbook, open to a chapter the class would have covered already. Kasuga's foxsquirrel had not accompanied her today; the bag was slightly open, and Mori could see that it contained nothing but school supplies. When his gaze rested on her face, he frowned. A dark bruise stained her right cheekbone, just under the eye. He decided he had better wake her up.

"Kasuga-chan," he called softly, taking a step toward her. She did not respond. "_Kasuga-chan_," he said, gently but louder. Still no response. He took another step and knelt beside her. "Kasuga?" He touched her shoulder. She drew a deep breath and stirred, but still did not wake up. "_Kana_." He gave her a gentle shake. Apparently, she was a heavy sleeper.

He didn't like the idea of leaving her sleeping alone in the lawn, even if it was just by the dojo. Mitsukuni had told him about the trouble Kasuga-chan had with some of the other students. If she was going to sleep, it should be someplace that was better protected. He thought for a moment. Nodding to himself, he carefully packed her book away and hoisted her, bag and all, into his arms. Then he began walking toward Ouran's main building.

* * *

Soon, Kana was sleeping on the couch in the back room of Music Room Three. Mori found a blanket and pillow in the storage room, tucked the blanket around her and slipped the pillow under her head. Throughout the ordeal, Kana did not so much as open one eye, though she murmured somewhat in her sleep. He couldn't make out what she was saying. When he was satisfied that she was settled, he checked the time. It was 6:45; school started in fifteen minutes. Mitsukuni should have already arrived. Mori flipped out his cell phone and called his cousin's number.

Hunny opened the door a few minutes later, and found Mori sitting in a chair, reading while Kana slept. Hunny smiled. He knew his cousin well enough to know that Mori was keeping an eye on Kana; his protective instinct was in full form.

"Takashi," Hunny said softly. "Has she woken up at all?"

"No."

Hunny frowned, clutching Bun-Bun and walking over to the couch to peer down at the sleeping girl. "I'll bet she didn't get enough sleep this weekend."

"Mm." Mori nodded.

"Sleep is very important, Takashi! _You_ know how important it is!" Hunny turned to his cousin emphatically. "I think we should just let her stay here. I'm sure Tama-chan wouldn't mind!"

"Ah..." He looked at Hunny uncertainly.

"She'll be safe here, Takashi. No one will come in."

They looked at Kana a moment longer.

"She'll miss class," Mori mumbled.

"I think if she's this tired, it's more important for her to sleep right now," Hunny said, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

Mori nodded.

"Come on, we'll check on her at lunch, ne? I'll even leave Bun-Bun with her..." Hunny tucked his pink rabbit under Kana's arm, and she snuggled up to it in her sleep. Hunny beamed. "It will give her good dreams. Rabbits are lucky!"

With that, Hunny bounded happily out of the room. Mori pulled the curtains shut so that the morning sun would not disturb her. He hesitated, reassuring himself that this was a safe place to leave the sleeping girl, then followed his cousin to class.

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

Oh my goodness! We got so much fan mail, I don't think we have room to publish it all. I'll give you the Reader's Digest version!

Here are the final results of the pudding discussion:

Kyouya, according to the readers, your heart is definitely made of pudding.

Kyouya: ...

But one reader (Jessica) commented that "Kyouya may have a heart of frozen pudding, but if you heat it enough it is sure to melt. So perhaps his already cold heart has already started to become delicious pudding when he became friends with all the Host Club!" What do you say to _that_, Kyouya?

Kyouya: *small smile* That's an interesting view...

Also, Tamaki, you got a lot more fan mail this time around!

Tamaki: *brightening* I did?

According to the readers, your heart is either jello, fresh boney buns, pie, or mousse. Jello was still the most popular dessert, but one fan commented that your "power of princely charm" would keep it from melting! (From DontReallyCare)

Tamaki: *Looking at all his fan mail with tears of joy dazzling his eyes* I...I don't know what to say. I am deeply moved. Thank you, my beautiful fans! I wish you were here with me, so I could thank you properly. *bows with flourish* I will try my best to live up to the expectations of sweet strawberry jello.

Er...yes. Somebody said Haruhi was strawberry, too...(From Rainspiral)

Tamaki: *fanboy eyes* HA-RU-HIIIIII! *Reaching for her with open arms*

Haruhi: Sempai! Knock it off!

Hold it. The other possibility is that Haruhi is hot chocolate. This one was pretty well thought-out: (From I lIkE kUMqUaTs XD)

"hey i think haruhi's heart is like hot chocolate! i love hot chocolate...i think that way cuz if you don't cool it off properly it can burn your tongue but it tastes really good and is worth it and stuff. basically im saying that with her bluntness and stuff she can hurt ppl (tamaki) but shes a really good friend and gives great advice and stuff..."

Haruhi: *blinks* Oh...thank you! *slight blush*

Tamaki: *too distracted by Haruhi's cute look to notice anything else*

Moving on...Hunny was cake (or peach-flavored), Mori was ice cream (because it goes with cake), and the twins are Almond Joys. And those are the final results! ^_^ Speaking of the twins...

Hikaru & Kaoru: ...?

You got some mail!

Hikaru: Really.

Kaoru: Give it here.

Not so fast. _I'm_ in charge, _I'll_ read it. Er...*makes sure Kana isn't around*

Hikaru: What's wrong?

Kaoru: Hurry up!

Okay, here goes: (From sethrox9730) "My question: Hikaru, Karou, aren't you failing to mess around with this girl? Or is it just because you are both aware of the same thing Kyouya and Haruhi know?"

Hikaru & Kaoru: ... *smiling slowly, hair curling into horn shapes*

Tamaki: Aware of what?

Kaoru: You really are dense, m'lord. It's pretty obvious.

Hikaru: Kana likes...

Mori: *glances over*

Hikaru & Kaoru: ...somebody. *burst out laughing*

Tamaki: *scratches head* Really? I wonder who...

All right, that's the end of the fan mail for this chapter! I'd like to thank Rainspiral, DontReallyCare, rubyparker 93, KaraxLavi13, AshleyV6661, ZuZu-Chan, Musicfreak25, Jessica, I lIkE kUMqUaTs XD, sethrox9730, and blackhawk68 for their fan mail! And all you other regular reviewers, too!

Feel free to send in any questions or comments you have for the cast. I also really appreciate feedback on the story, so thanks to ALL my reviewers. You inspire me to keep writing! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time...


	13. 13: Sleeping Beauty

I am back once again! A miracle! Especially considering I'm in class for 40 hours this week. _

Silly me and my goal of obtaining a Master's degree. What was I thinking?

In other news, Mori, somebody responded to your opening comments from last chapter:

Mori: ...

(From blackhawk68)

"He can be a pretty tough one to keep in character since you can't have him talk  
too much but not talk at all. No offense meant, Mori-sama, it makes you really  
cool. :D"

Mori: *slight blush*

He's speechless! I mean, he's pretty much always speechless, but I think he appreciates your compliment, Blackhawk-san. ^_^

Mori: *nods*

Even though you ARE very difficult to keep in character, Mori.

Mori: *sweatdrop*

You never talk!

Mori: *shrugs*

AARGH!

Mori: *pats Laleanen's head*

Hunny: I think Takashi is teasing you, Lale-chan!

Eh?

Mori: *slight smile*

O_O Mori doesn't...TEASE people...it's not...he...he's OOC! *points accusing finger at Mori*

Mori: ...

Hunny: But how would you know that, Lale-chan? Maybe Bisco-chan just doesn't show that side of Takashi!

...this...this information does not compute. I think I need to sit down. Mori teasing people...it just doesn't happen. I think I need to go outside and see if there are any pigs flying around. Until I recover, please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

Kana dreamt that she was Sleeping Beauty. As anyone who has dreamt about sleeping knows, it is a strange, surreal experience; almost as disorienting as dreaming about dreaming. All Kana knew was that she was being rescued by a handsome prince (who, though she never saw his face, sounded and smelled suspiciously like Takashi Morinozuka), who brought her to his castle while he searched for some way to break the evil spell which kept her dozing. The dream grew fuzzy after that. As she slowly returned to the waking world, she snuggled up to Flick, hoping to bask in the pleasant glow of her dream for a few moments more before her father insisted she come down to breakfast.

Kana opened her eyes abruptly. Her father was in England. She looked down at Flick, who was pink, stuffed, and far too rabbit-looking. She sat up and looked around the room, which eerily resembled the back room of the Host Club's headquarters. In fact, it _was_ that room. Kana underwent two shocks at once.

The first shock was that her "dream" may have had an element of realism; the stuffed animal she was clutching could be none other than "Bun-Bun", the precious stuffed rabbit that went everywhere with Hunny-sempai. And Hunny-sempai was close with Mori-sempai, and her dream...she remembered falling asleep in a grassy area behind the school gardens...with a tremendous blush and a squeak, Kana dove back under the blanket (who had tucked it around her?), though there was no one to hide from. Then the second shock hit her.

She was at school. She could see the sun shining outside, even with the curtains closed. _How long have I been sleeping_? She wondered, panicked. Embarrassment forgotten, she ripped the blanket off and grabbed for her bag, which was sitting in a chair next to the couch on which she had been napping. Without even pausing to smooth her sleep-rumpled hair, she dashed out the door to her homeroom, praying she could think of a good reason for being late in the time it took to run there.

* * *

Kana burst through the homeroom door in the middle of an English lesson. Her teacher paused to peer at her over his glasses in exasperation. "Kasuga-chan, do you have any idea what time it is?"

Kana thought for a moment, flustered. "Er...no, actually. I'm sorry I'm late sensei...I..." she realized that the eyes of every student in the classroom were fixed on her at the moment. Many of them were smirking. Ayanokoji wore a look of open, contemptuous amusement. Kana couldn't bring herself to look at Kyouya or Tamaki. She gulped. "I...uh...overslept..." she mumbled, scurrying to her seat while trying to minimize the disruption. A foot stuck out where there wasn't one before and she went sprawling, creating more noise and commotion that caused the teacher to sigh with impatience.

"Please hurry to your desk, Kasuga."

_I'm trying_...she thought, scrambling to her chair and finally sitting down. Giggles rippled through the classroom, though it was difficult to tell which individuals were producing them. Kana took out her English textbook and cowered behind it, trying to make herself as small as possible. _What a way to start the day_. She avoided Tamaki's overt attempts to make eye contact with her throughout the remainder of the class. In the back of her mind, concerns about her parents kept interrupting her concentration on the lesson at hand. She had to ask what page number they were on, twice, when asked to translate a section from the book. This elicited more giggles from the students and a withering look from the teacher.

_Can it get any worse?_

At least she had made it in time for lunch. As the bell rang she sighed heavily, hoping to gain some respite from the torture that was this day so far. Tamaki turned to her.

"Kana-hime, what happened? You look terrible!"

Kana glowered at him. "Thanks."

"No...I mean...your face..." Tamaki stammered.

Kyouya stood up and calmly tapped Tamaki over the head with his clipboard. "Be quiet. You're only making it worse. What I think he means, Kasuga-hime, is that you appear to have hurt yourself somehow, with that nasty bruise on your cheek. You also look like you slept in your uniform all night and then rolled out of bed to run to class."

Kana grimaced. Kyouya's approach wasn't much more flattering, even if it was close to the truth. "I woke up in Music Room Three, and I have no idea how I got there..." she looked away, trying not to think about her half-dream and its possible implications.

Kyouya cocked an eyebrow. "Really. How interesting."

Tamaki was interested also. "Do you sleepwalk, Kana-hime? I've always wanted to try it, but it's not the sort of thing you can really do on purpose..." he tapped his chin thoughtfully, then grinned. "That's really amazing! Congratulations!"

Kana sweat-dropped. "Er...that's not the sort of thing you normally congratulate a person on, Tamaki...and I don't think I sleepwalk..."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Kyouya asked, making a few jots on his clipboard. Kana thought he might make a good police investigator, the way he kept such copious notes.

"Well...I walked to school early this morning, and was studying in the grass out behind the gardens. I might have fallen asleep there. I...didn't get much rest this weekend..."

"Eh? Behind the gardens? Over by the training dojos?" Tamaki asked.

"I didn't know those were training dojos..."

"Yes, all the martial arts dojos are located in that area. Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Jujutsu, and, let's see..._Kendo_." Kyouya emphasized the last word unnecessarily, and with a smile.

"...er." Kana said, looking down.

"Something the matter?" Kyouya asked cheerfully.

"No. Um...I think we should go to lunch..." Kana said, still avoiding their eyes and quickly dismissing herself from the classroom.

"Kana-hime! Are you going to eat lunch with us today?" Tamaki called after her.

"Uh...no thank you! I think I'll just...find someplace...by myself..." _...to hide in mortification_. She finished silently, scurrying quickly through the school corridors, clutching her lunch parcel to her chest. _Calm down, calm down! It might just be a coincidence! It doesn't mean that the dream..._she blushed again, remembering the warm, fuzzy feeling she woke up with. There was also the fact that _somebody_ had left her with Hunny-sempai's stuffed rabbit; that probably meant that either Hunny himself had carried her to the Music Room (a mental image she could not quite sustain), or Mori-sempai had done so.

She needed to find someplace to be alone and think. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas. As she rounded a corner to what she thought was a deserted hallway, she came face-to-face with Ayanokoji and her cronies.

"Oh, excuse me. I didn't know this hallway was taken..." she turned heel and intended to disappear, but one of the girls grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around to face them. Ayanokoji smiled wickedly. _Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse..._

"Welcome to school, Kasuga. Decide you would deign to join us today? Or were you too busy fighting with ruffians to bother with history and political science this morning?"

Kana sighed. The bruise on her cheek probably did look awful. "I don't get into fights, Ayanokoji-san."

"Oh no? I heard you've been spending your spare time with the yakuza students. Walking to school with them, even! Making new friends, are you, yankee? Ones that suit you?"

Kana glared at the taller girl. "The yakuza are no friends of mine..." _Kasanoda hardly counts as yakuza, anyway. He's too nice_.

"Which would explain the fighting. Though to them, it amounts to about the same thing, I suppose. They fight with their friends as much as their enemies."

"Whereas a proper young lady like yourself would _never_ resort to brute force," Kana commented drily. "You let the _lesser_ folk do that for you," she gave a significant look to the girl clasping her arm.

Ayanokoji frowned. "Pay no attention to her. She's just the daughter of a politician putting on airs. Though he must be losing popularity these days, if he can't even spare a car to take her to school..."

"Some days, I prefer to walk," Kana said simply.

"How inappropriate." Ayanokoji tilted her chin just a little higher. "There are ruffians and perverts and who-knows-what that prowl around in the early morning. No self-respecting lady would expose herself to such company. Unless, of course, you enjoy that sort of attention..."

Kana stamped angrily at Ayanokoji's dainty toe. She missed. Ayanokoji smiled. "I see. That's all the answer I need." She looked triumphantly at her cohorts. "You saw it for yourself, ladies. She consorts the lowest kind of person, seeks out their company, and stoops to their ways. You'll never be a lady, Kasuga. You'll never make it at this school. You should go back to America, yankee, where you belong." They let her go and walked away, laughing, but not before they took her lunch box and threw it out the window.

Kana sighed, making her way toward the bottom floor to see if she if she could find or salvage any of the bento. "It seems like _everything _I do is inappropriate these days..."

She was unable to salvage most of the lunch (only a few egg rolls, wrapped in tinfoil, had survived the fall), and went back to class with her stomach rumbling slightly. After the final bell rang and she thought her torment was over, that she could finally go home and pretend today never happened, she was intercepted by a zealous-looking Tamaki (by that meaning, a normal-for-Tamaki-looking-Tamaki). Before he could say anything, she held up her hand.

"No, please. I can't visit the host club. Not again. I really can't bear any more humiliation today..."

"But princess..." he protested, kneeling beside her desk.

"Tamaki-san, last time I sent Honey-sempai to the nurse."

"Yes, well, that was hardly-"

"And the time before that, I toppled over a couch, several tables, and nearly killed a few of your guests in the process."

"But-"

"Why?" Kana asked fervently, the stress of the past three days making its way into her voice. "Why do you still want me to come? Haven't I caused enough trouble? Why is it so important that I visit your club?"

Tamaki's eyes softened. From behind his back, he pulled out a long-stemmed white rose and proffered it to her with a gentle smile. "Because you're lonely. You've had a bad day. And I make it my business to try and bring what little happiness I can to girls like you, girls who seem to need it. That's all."

The unexpected sincerity caught her off-guard. "Um."

Kyouya approached from behind Tamaki. "Won't you accept the rose, Kasuga-hime?"

She hesitated, then took the flower from Tamaki's hand. "I...yes...it's beautiful. Th-thank you, but-"

"And having accepted the rose, at least, will you listen?" Kyouya sat down at the desk behind her and smiled in a way that was somehow neither creepy nor fake. "I've arranged for your history tutoring."

"You have?" Kana asked, eager in spite of herself. She had almost forgotten about that particular disaster.

"Yes. But in order to complete the arrangement, I'd like you to visit the host club just once more. Today. Stay for the entire afternoon with one host today, and you'll have all the assistance you need, confidentially, and free of charge."

"Well, I..." she glanced at the two handsome boys smiling at her. She thought of going home to her empty house, where she would probably worry about her parents and put off homework for the rest of the evening. "I should thank...Honey-sempai...for leaving Bun-Bun with me this morning..."

Tamaki lit up. "Is that a yes?"

Kana smiled shyly. "Yes. I'll come."

* * *

The host club was in full cosplay form this afternoon, sporting Scottish regalia in a Highland Games theme. The twins, with their outlandishly red hair and fashion-designer genes, pulled off the look most convincingly, dancing a jig together to please their fans. Honey had dressed Bun-Bun in a little kilt and Glengarry, which matched his own, and Haruhi looked strangely girlish in the skirt-like attire. Kana glanced shyly at Mori. He, too, was dressed in the Scottish kilt and a formal-looking jacket with a lot of gold buttons and military badges, a fur-lined sporran, and a Scottish hat tilted just slightly to the side that made him look rather fetching. Though "fetching" was not the word that crossed her mind. In fact, very few words crossed her mind at all, until she heard Kyouya clear his throat behind her. She turned abruptly, just in time to catch the amused smirk on his face.

"Tamaki and I need to change. In the meantime, who will you be designating as your host this afternoon?"

"Um..."

"I should warn you that Haruhi's schedule is full."

"Well..."

"Honey-sempai's, too."

"Er..." Kana glanced around the room nervously. She tried not to look at Mori, lest she start unconsciously staring again. "How about Tama-"

"Tamaki goes without saying. You have to reserve him days in advance. I'm afraid you'll have to choose somebody else."

Kana crossed her arms and looked at Kyouya suspiciously. "Who _is_ available?"

Kyouya looked at his list. "Let's see...I'm booked, Hikaru and Kaoru are both full...that leaves..." he put down his clipboard and smiled brightly at her. "Mori-sempai."

The room seemed to get uncomfortably quiet.

"So...that means...I don't have a choice..." Kana muttered, looking at the floor and trying not to imagine how awkward this was going to be.

"Who would you like to designate?" Kyouya asked, a little too loudly.

The room really did get uncomfortably quiet, as the other customers and hosts looked at her curiously. Hunny bounded over, unfazed by her situation.

"Kana-chan! Kana-chan! You're awake! Did you have a good sleep? Did Bun-Bun bring you good dreams?"

At the words "good dreams", Kana accidentally glanced at Mori (who had turned his eyes toward her in a very unnerving fashion) and blushed to the tips of her ears before she could do anything about it. "Uh..." she said, placing a fist against her forehead as if she were thinking very hard. "Can you repeat the question, Kyouya?"

"Eh? Hunny-sempai let you nap with his rabbit?" Hikaru asked, looking over his shoulder at her. "When was this?"

"Who would you like to designate?"

"What are my choices again?"

"Takashi found her asleep outside the dojos, but couldn't wake her up, so he brought her here to sleep!" Hunny announced happily.

"_Ree_-ally..." Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison, suddenly looking at Kana with far too much interest. She was quickly becoming the center of attention.

"You may choose anyone whose schedule will allow you to spend the day with them."

Kana began to wonder if Kyouya were exacting some kind of twisted revenge on her for accidently letting Flick loose in the club room and nearly demolishing it.

"Oh! Kana-chan! Takashi doesn't have any customers today!" Hunny said, tugging at her skirt.

Kana couldn't bring herself to glance in Mori's direction again. She was still blushing and trying to cover her face. "Um...gee...Hunny-sempai...I wouldn't want to impose on...his...time..."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "He is here to entertain guests. You wouldn't be imposing."

Kana felt somebody tug at her wrist and a pair of gold, cat-like eyes peered at her. "Is something wrong with your face? Why are you hiding?" Hikaru asked loudly.

"Nothing! I'm...thinking..." she tried to look away, but his brother came over to look, too.

"Eh? What's with this bruise? You get into a fight or something?" Kaoru asked.

"No!" Kana protested. A few customers gathered nearby to see what all the noise was about.

"Hey, easy," Kaoru put his hands up in mock surrender. "I was just wondering..."

"So how'd you get that shiner, then?" Hikaru asked, pointing to her cheek.

"I...I..." Haruhi had come over to look, too, and so did more customers, gathering around Kana in a tight circle. She began to feel a little claustrophobic, and glanced in Mori's direction. He stayed where he was, but continued to watch the exchange with intent eyes. Kana gulped. "I...was kicked...by a-a goat..." she mumbled.

"A _what_?"

"A _goat_."

The other girls began chattering excitedly amongst themselves.

"Did she say _goat_?"

"What do you think she was doing?"

"I didn't know that could happen!"

Kana hurried to explain. "A baby goat was...stuck in our barbed wire fence. I got it out. In the process, it kicked me." She shrugged, hoping to still their interest with nonchalance. "It happens." She expected the girls to recoil in fear or disgust, but to her surprise, many had looks of admiration or simple surprise.

"I had no idea goats were so dangerous!"

"American girls are so tough!"

"How terrifying!"

"A baby goat! So cute!"

"That was so _brave_ of her!"

Kana felt very uncomfortable with the attention, and was glad when the customers began to disperse, going back to their respective hosts. The twins, Haruhi, and Hunny also returned to their guests. Tamaki had gone off to change. Kyouya continued to stand in front of her.

"Have you decided?" he asked, still smiling, but it was a little tighter. He seemed rumpled by earlier commotion.

"Er..."

"Your host."

"Oh." Kana glanced at Mori. He hadn't moved during the entire conversation, but his eyes were fixed on her, as if he, too, were waiting to hear her answer. "Um...I guess..."

"Yes?"

"I'll designate..."

"Hmm?"

"M-m-mori-sempai..." she mumbled, looking at the floor.

Kyouya smiled. "I'm sorry, Kana-chan. I didn't hear you. Could you speak up a little louder?"

Kana blushed, certain that this must be revenge of some sort. "I-I said...I'll designate...M-mori-sempai."

"Ah!" Kyouya made a note on his clipboard. "Very well. Mori-sempai!" He beckoned Mori to come over.

Slowly, Mori stood and walked over to where Kana and Kyouya were standing. No matter how many times she saw him, she couldn't get over how _tall_ he was. He inclined his head in her direction, and she managed a small smile, not quite meeting his eyes.

"I entrust Kasuga Kana-hime to your care today, Mori. She will be your only customer, and you are to give her your undivided attention." Kyouya's smile softened. "I believe she's had a hard day. I'm sure you can think of some way to cheer her up?"

Mori looked steadily down at Kyouya, and nodded once. "Ah."

"Then I'll leave you to it." Kyouya turned to walk away, but she could have sworn she saw him wink in her direction.

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

Yes, I'm evil, stopping the chapter here. I know. Honestly, I'm a little concerned about Mori and Kana's afternoon together is going to go...I hope I can write something that is fun and interesting for you guys while still keeping them in character *nervous*. What have I gotten myself into?

Meanwhile, a few fan letters:

(From Aurora-16)

"cyber cake and cookies to you with a mori plushie or, if  
you prefer, blowup doll!"

A...a Mori plushie? *gets teary-eyed*

Hunny: *pats Laleanen's arm* There, there, Lale-chan! Don't cry!

But...Mori plushies don't exist! The supposed "full set" of Ouran plushies doesn't include Mori! (If anyone can prove otherwise to me, please do so! I have looked everywhere and can find no commercially-produced Mori plushies. It's very sad. Nothing short of criminal, really!) So, Aurora-san, I will happily accept a "virtual" Mori-plushie, in place of a real one. T_T

Rainspiral appears to be determined to start something similar to the pudding discussion (I have no idea why that was such a popular topic, but the internet is full of mysteries such as this...)

(From Rainspiral)

"The time has come for a new strange and random topic! Hmm, let's see. . . I got it, SUPER POWERS ARE EVER SO MUCH FUN!"

Let's see... she suggests that Hunny would have the ability to make cake appear from nowhere...

Hunny: Yay! I like that super power! *munches cake while Chika stares in horror*

Mori should have something along the lines of shadow manipulation...

Mori: *blinks*

The twins would have the power of teleportation...

Hikaru: Eh, we don't need that kind of power.

Kaoru: We can already do that...

*Hikaru and Kaoru reenact their Cheshire cat scene from the Haruhi in Wonderland episode of the anime*

In unison: See?

Um...yes. That's cheating, but yes. Let's see what else Rainspiral suggested...Um..."subduction" for Tamaki...er...

Tamaki: Oh boy! What a magnificent power! I thank you, Rainspiral, for thinking of me!

Um...Tamaki, I think Rainspiral might have meant "seduction"...but I'm not sure...I think subduction has something to do with volcanoes...(our geology-proficient readers can probably explain it better!) But her description was "the ability to charm a cheetah out of his spots".

Tamaki: *eyes shining* Ah, Rainspiral-hime, how kind! Could it be that you, too, are "charmed" by me? *taps chin, trying to be seductive*

Haruhi: Really, Rainspiral? I don't think he's THAT charming...

Tamaki: *mood changes instantly, goes to harvest mushrooms in a corner*

Oh dear. There, there, Tamaki-kun. You'll feel better when something shiny distracts you. Let's see...Kyouya, Rainspiral suggested that telepathy or mind reading would suit you...

Kyouya: *pushes up glasses, which glint ominously*

Uh. I don't really want to think about that.

Hikaru: *muttering* He already does that...

Haruhi: *muttering* No wonder they call him "shadow king"...

Kaoru: *muttering* Creepy...

And finally, Haruhi, Rainspiral suggested that you would have the power of sorcery.

Haurhi: EEEHH? *points to herself in disbelief*

Here's how I pictured it:

*Haruhi appears suddenly in a cutely oversized sorcerer's robe with little stars and moons all over it, a pointed sorcerer/wizard cap that is slightly too big and tilted to one side, and a large yellow staff with a big yellow star at the end* ^_^

Tamaki, Kaoru, and Hikaru: CUUUTE! *all glomp her*

See? I told you Tamaki would be distracted by something shiny. ^_^

Feel free to respond to the super hero topic if you like, or to send fan mail to any of the characters. As always, I will choose a few to be included here. Until next time!


	14. 14: Mori the Host

I'm astounded at the number of visitors this story has gotten from all around the world! I have a small request for you, my dear readers. I would LOVE to know where you all are from! Nothing specific, please (this IS the internet, and I encourage everyone to be careful!) but a country and state/province included in a review? I think it would be wonderful to know a little bit about where my readership is coming from!

* * *

Kana glanced up at Mori. He just stood there silently, looking ridiculously handsome without even trying. _Whatever are we going to talk about_? She asked herself, panicking a little. She wanted to hide somewhere, sink into the floor. Here she was, getting the undivided attention of someone who was arguably the most handsome young man in school, and she looked like she had just rolled out of bed face-first. There was also the unspoken question of how she ended up asleep in the Third Music Room this morning, but she didn't know how she would ever gather the courage to bring _that_ up.

"Want to sit over there?" Mori's low voice interrupted her anxious musings. He inclined his head toward a Victorian-style settee with long, ornate wooden legs and a high back, located in a far corner of the music room. It looked like it might accommodate three small people. Kana nodded, not knowing what else to do.

She followed Mori, who stood by, apparently waiting for her to be seated first. She hoisted herself onto the high cushion, and realized with embarrassment that her feet wouldn't reach the floor! Blushing, she quickly tucked her legs under her to avoid attracting attention to her stature. She glanced at Mori, wondering if he noticed. For a moment, she almost thought she saw the hint of an amused smile on his lips, but it could easily have been her imagination.

"Tea?" he asked politely.

"Y-yes, please..."

He disappeared behind her for a moment, then reappeared with two cups, two saucers, and a small, steaming teapot. He set one cup and saucer in front of her and poured the tea.

"Sugar?"

"Y-yes, please..." Kana felt incredibly uncomfortable being served like this by someone who was not being paid to do the job. "Um! I can get it myself..." she offered, as Mori produced a sugar bowl.

He gave her a quizzical look, obviously intended to ascertain the amount of sugar she preferred. She gave in.

"One spoonful is fine."

He gave her the amount she specified, then looked at her again, raising one eyebrow.

She blushed. "Well...I guess I'd like another. If it isn't too much-"

He gave her another, and looked at her quizzically.

"Yes, that's plenty...thank you..." How had he known she really wanted two? Was it that obvious? She took a hesitant sip of the steaming liquid as Mori finally took a seat beside her. It was sweet, just the way she liked it. She smiled.

The smile did not escape Mori's notice, and he looked down at her with warm eyes. Kana almost dropped her teacup, but escaped _that_ particular embarrassment by quickly returning it to the saucer. Of course, now she didn't know what to do with her hands, since they were no longer holding the teacup. She folded them tightly in her lap.

She was then faced with the terrible dilemma of where to look. She tried looking at Mori, but of course that became very awkward very quickly. She decided then that the floor was incredibly interesting, and fixed her eyes in that direction. Mori sat beside her in silence, apparently unaware of the tense atmosphere that enveloped her.

It was then that Kana's stomach loudly announced that she had eaten only two egg rolls since yesterday.

Kana glanced at Mori, mortified, and hoping (though it was impossible) that he had not noticed. At least that he would _pretend_ not to have noticed. To her shock, he was staring at her with a look of intense concern.

"I-I...sorry..." she stammered.

"Kasuga-chan...are you hungry?"

"Well...um...maybe a little..." She blushed, wondering why this was such an interesting topic of conversation to the normally stoic and silent host.

"Did you eat lunch?"

"Ah...some of it..." Kana hadn't mentioned the incident with Ayanokoji to anyone, and didn't really want to start talking about it now.

"You should eat. It's important to have regular meals." Mori stood. "What would you like?"

"Eh? You don't have to..." her voice died out at the look on his face. He didn't need to say it, but he obviously wasn't taking "no" for an answer. "Um. Cake?"

Mori nodded, then bolted out of the room before Kana could say "Thank you".

* * *

Mori was gone for about five minutes. During that time, Kana was able to relax and drink the rest of her tea. The other hosts and customers did not seem to notice she was alone, which didn't bother her. She busied herself with watching them. The Highland Games theme seemed to be the driving force behind the host's activities, and they entertained their customers with everything from Scottish dance and music (Kaoru turned out to be rather handy with the fiddle, while Hikaru danced with some of the customers), to a history lesson from Kyouya. They seemed to be having fun. Kana smiled as she watched them.

"Did you want to join them?" a deep voice asked from behind her. Kana jumped slightly as Mori appeared with a tray of food.

"I...uh...maybe in a little bit..." Kana said hesitantly. "I-it does look fun."

Mori set the tray in front of her. It contained a bowl of miso soup, onigiri of various kinds, shrimp tempura, and a large slice of German chocolate cake.

"Eat."

Kana's eyes widened at the sight of all the food. "Wow...um...thank you!" She looked at him uncertainly. "Are we sharing?"

Mori shook his head. "It's for you." He looked at her expectantly. "Eat."

Obediently, Kana picked up her chopsticks. "...Itadakimasu..."

Mori sat beside her and watched as she ate, giving Kana the strange impression that he was trying to make sure she ate everything on her plate. Like a mother hen. The image made her giggle despite herself.

Mori quirked an eyebrow at her.

She swallowed quickly before her giggling caused her to choke. "I'm sorry...you just looked so serious...!"

His face softened.

"Please, I really can't eat all this. Have some of the shrimp, it's really good..." She pushed one toward him.

He looked at her skeptically.

"I mean it! Trust me; I love food, I just don't want it to go to waste," she said, trying to be convincing.

Slowly, Mori reached over and took the shrimp from her plate, popping it casually into his mouth. "It's good," he agreed.

Kana nodded, smiling shyly. Together they finished the tray of food.

* * *

Later, the host club adjourned to Ouran's football field for the main Highland Games event: The caber toss. Mori and Hunny were competing for this event, which involved throwing a 20-foot long caber. The guests piled themselves onto the first row of bleachers, where they could get a good view of the action. They chattered excitedly about who they thought would win the competition.

"I read about this in a magazine article I found inexplicably on my desk," Tamaki explained to Kana excitedly. "It's an age-old Scottish tradition to test strength and ardor!"

Kyouya cleared his throat. "The caber is supposed to be tossed vertically so that it turns one hundred and eighty degrees, which requires a great deal of strength and control. Mori-sempai and Hunny-sempai are ideal candidates."

Kana nodded. After she and Mori had finished eating, they decided to join the rest of the club's festivities, and it had proven to be educational so far. She smiled inwardly, hardly daring to admit that she was having fun at the host club today. She looked toward the field where Mori was getting ready to pick up his caber for the competition. He had taken off the formal jacket, and wore only a thin t-shirt underneath, which Kana tried (unsuccessfully) to ignore. He noticed her watching and nodded at her with a small smile. Kana blushed and waved discreetly, trying not to draw too much attention to herself. Unfortunately, Mori's gesture was not so easily ignored by the other guests, and they all looked over at Kana, gasping and squealing on her behalf.

Kana tried to disappear into the bleacher on which she sat. Fortunately, her fellow female guests were quickly distracted by the start of the competition. Kana also turned her attention back to Mori, who was now holding a log that towered fifteen feet over his head. He didn't appear to struggle with the weight. When Kaoru gave the signal, Mori heaved the log into the air and it went flying, end over end, completing two full rotations.

The guests cheered wildly. Kana sat very still, trying to tear her eyes away from Mori's biceps. She blinked and swallowed a few times, and then realized he was walking toward her, wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked at her quizzically.

Her mouth suddenly went very dry. "I...that was..." She gulped. "Y-you were...r-really good..." She murmured. His arms were really very distracting.

Mori smiled, and came to stand beside her, turning to watch as Hunny took his turn. Kana furrowed her brow, looking at Hunny as he walked toward his log.

"M-Mori-sempai..."

Mori glanced down at her. "Mm?"

"Are you sure...this competition is fair? I-I mean, Hunny-sempai..." Kana still felt odd calling him that. It was difficult enough to believe that Hunny was eighteen, much less that he could lift a log five times his height.

Mori nodded. "I may not win this competition."

Kana stared at him in open disbelief. "_What_? B-but...M-Mori-sempai, you're-you're the strongest person I've ever _seen_..." she blurted out, then blushed and closed her mouth before it ran away with her.

Mori smiled, half to himself. "Just watch."

Hunny narrowed his eyes determinedly as he approached the log, and rubbed his hands together. This elicited a squeal of delight from his many fans in the bleachers. Quickly (and to Kana's shock and disbelief) he hoisted the giant log into his arms. Instead of throwing the log, as Mori had done, Hunny jumped with it high into the air (_He must really be part rabbit,_ thought Kana) yelling "Hiiii-YAA!" for good measure. He flipped the log in mid-air, using the force of his jump. The log flipped twice, as Mori's had done, and Hunny landed with an impressive mid-air somersault.

Kana gaped. What she was seeing with her eyes was incompatible with what her brain knew to be physically possible. And yet, the visual information remained the same. Mori smiled down at her.

"Mitsukuni is also a martial artist. He is arguably stronger than I am."

Hunny's crowd of fans went wild.

"Hunny-sempai, you're so strong!"

"Hunny-sempai, you're so cool!"

"Hunny-sempai! We love you!"

Kyouya adjusted his glasses, walking onto the field, where Hunny was taking a drink of water, and wiping the perspiration from his (and Bun-Bun's) brow. "Very impressive, Hunny-sempai. Your log travelled even farther than Mori-sempai's, which would normally make you the winner of this competition."

Hunny turned to Bun-Bun. "You hear that, Bun-Bun? We won! It's all that carrot cake we've been eating! I knew it would build strength!"

Kyouya cleared his throat politely. "Yes, _normally_ that would make you the winner of this competition. However, while your log technically travelled _farther_, you also used primarily the force of your lower body to propel the toss, while Mori-sempai relied solely on upper body strength. Not quite a fair comparison, considering the lower body has more powerful muscles and more torque."

Hunny blinked. "Huh?"

"The match is a draw, due to your...unconventional...techniques, Hunny-sempai." Kyouya smiled sweetly at him. "Better luck next time."

Mori, who had been listening to this exchange, shrugged and walked onto the field to kneel beside the perplexed Hunny.

"He means you should eat more cake so we can try again sometime," Mori explained.

Hunny turned and smiled winningly at his cousin. "Oh! Is that what Kyo-chan means? All right, Takashi! Let's do our best next time!" Laughing, he skipped over to indulge the praise of his adoring fans.

Mori casually returned to the bleachers where Kana stood, still agape. She closed her mouth when she realized Mori was looking at her, a hint of amusement in his dark eyes.

"You...handled that well..." she complimented him, glancing at the ground to avoid his gaze.

He nodded once, looking toward Hunny, who was being fawned over by his fans.

Kana followed his gaze and smiled. "He really is something, isn't he?"

Mori nodded. "Ah."

"I can see why you respect him so much..." Kana ventured quietly, still watching Hunny.

Mori looked down at her, and a slow, broad smile spread across his face. He placed a large hand on the top of her head, and gently ruffled her hair. Kana, taken by surprise, looked up at him with wide eyes, her face flushing.

"Uh...uhm...I think...why don't we go join them?" she stammered nervously. Ducking out from under his hand, she scurried over to where Hunny was still talking and laughing with a few customers.

* * *

Mori paused a moment before following her, looking at his hand, which had been sifting through Kana's hair only a moment ago.

_Soft_...

He shook his head, returning from what had seemed a momentary lapse of his senses, and followed Kana over to where Mitsukuni was waving at them, sitting at a table laid out with cakes for the three of them to share.

* * *

"Takashi, which cake would you like? Kana-chan is having lemon, and I'm having carrot spice cake!"

Mori glanced over the assortment of cakes Hunny had selected. "Dark chocolate," he said, after a moment.

Hunny nodded knowingly, pushing the little cake Mori's direction, as Mori sat across from him. "Dark chocolate is Takashi's favorite," Hunny commented to Kana conversationally.

"...oh...is that so?" Kana smiled shyly, sneaking a glance at Mori as he took a bite of cake. He got a tiny smudge of chocolate on the corner of his mouth as he ate, and Kana stifled a giggle. _He's so cute...he doesn't even notice_.

A tiny cough to her right made her realize she was staring at Mori. Again. She quickly whirled her head around to face Hunny, who was smiling at her in an unnerving way.

"You look happy, Kana-chan. Did you have fun with Takashi today?" he asked innocently.

"Uhm!" Kana blushed from the neck up, trying not to look at Mori. However, she heard the sounds of chewing stop, and knew that he was waiting to hear her answer. "Y-yes..." she laughed self-consciously, rubbing the back of her neck. "I really did. Have fun. That is."

Hunny nodded happily. "What about you, Takashi, did you have fun with Kana-chan?"

Startled, Kana turned to look at Mori. She felt her stomach tingling in nervous anticipation of his answer.

Mori also looked vaguely surprised by the question. He glanced toward her and their eyes met. "Ah," he said, his gaze softening and his lips curving into a small smile.

Kana gulped, unsure of what to say, or how to respond. Mori wasn't breaking eye contact. Finally, the intensity grew to be too much for Kana, and she looked shyly away.

Hunny smiled knowingly, though neither Kana nor Mori saw it. "I'm glad you both had a good time!" he said cheerfully. "Are you feeling better, Kana-chan?"

Kana glanced at the little blond senior. "Better? I'm not sure what you mean..."

Hunny's eyes softened with innocent concern. "Than this morning! You know, you were really sleepy! Takashi carried you all the way from the kendo dojo to the Music Room, and you didn't wake up, even when he tucked you in on the couch!"

Embarrassment jolted through Kana like a lightning bolt. _Ack! So that really DID happen!_ She remembered her "Sleeping Beauty" dream most unfortunately at that moment, and found herself quite unable to look in Mori's direction. Studying the teacups with interest, and trying to obscure her face by inconspicuously tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear, she managed to say, "ah...y-yes. I'm feeling...better." She shut her eyes, knowing that the polite thing to do would be to _thank_ Mori; and she did feel grateful...but...she wasn't sure she trusted her voice that far.

"I'm so glad!" Hunny gushed, apparently oblivious to how Kana was feeling. "Takashi's glad you're okay, too, aren't you, Takashi?"

Mori grunted his assent.

"He was really worried, weren't you?"

At this, Mori paused for a moment, then softly replied, "Ah."

Kana's heart flip-flopped in her chest at Mori's gentle tone. _Was he really..._worried_...about me?_ She took a deep breath. "Th-thank you...Mori-sempai. For...for helping me..."

Hunny stood up suddenly, grabbing Bun-Bun. "Oh! I just remembered I need to help Chika with his homework! Please excuse me! Takashi, take care of Kana-chan!" and with that hasty explanation, he disappeared.

Mori raised an eyebrow and turned to watch Hunny leave, then turned back to Kana.

There was a long, awkward silence.

"You're welcome," Mori said quietly.

Kana fidgeted with her dress, trying not to look at him.

"Kana..." Mori said, leaning toward her.

She glanced up, and started in surprise at his narrowed eyes.

"You should get more sleep," he said sternly. "Sleep is very important."

She ducked her head, sheepishly. "I-I know. It's just...I've been...preoccupied...recently."

Mori quirked an eyebrow at her.

Kana sighed. "I'm just worried about my parents. They're abroad and...well...I don't know when they'll be back..." she trailed off, realizing that she didn't really want to talk about her encounters with the yakuza kids at school.

"That, and your studies have been causing you some stress, I believe," Kyouya announced, approaching their table.

Kana flushed and whirled around to face Kyouya, an angry look on her face. _You _would_ have to mention that, wouldn't you..._

Kyouya smiled brightly at her, as if reading her thoughts and finding them delightful. "It would appear that you've already become acquainted with the tutor I selected for you."

There were a few seconds of silence in which both Mori and Kana stared at Kyouya blankly.

"What?" Kana asked dumbly.

Kyouya looked at each of them, a smirk growing on his face. "Oh, I must have forgotten to tell you...Mori agreed to be your tutor. And since you have now met the conditions of our agreement, I expect you'll want to start with him as soon as possible."

Kana continued to blink at him stupidly.

Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "You know, to bring your history grades up. I wouldn't waste time if I were you. Mori is at the top of his class in history, so you're in very capable hands."

At the mention of "hands" Kana blushed and glanced at Mori, feeling just a little panicky. Mori's expression remained unreadable, and he looked back at her without saying anything. "You..._you're_ going to t-tutor me?" Kana asked, her voice pitching in a slight squeak.

Mori nodded. "If you like."

"I-I...I don't want to trouble you...!" Her eyes widened. This couldn't be happening. There was no way that _Mori_ was the one Kyouya had been...

Mori shrugged. "No trouble."

_Kyouya. He wouldn't have done that on purpose...would he?_ She looked suspiciously at the "cool" host, who smiled innocently at her.

"Well then! I suppose I will leave you two to arrange," he said, turning to go. "Oh, and Kana," he said over his shoulder, "I hope you enjoyed yourself today. Feel free to come and visit the host club anytime it suits your fancy." He left, scribbling a few notes on his clipboard.

Kana looked up at her stoic tutor, the panicky feeling escalating. _Oh gosh! What do I do? _

Mori looked down at her, apparently waiting for her to say something.

"Er...um...s-so...when...or where...or...both...should we...uh...?"

Mori shrugged.

Kana swallowed, for the moment hating how unresponsive Mori could be. "I'm...free tonight...?" she ventured hesitantly. "Unless...! If tonight is too soon, too short notice, that's okay, I mean, we don't have to-" she babbled, misreading his continued lack of response. She was cut off by one of Mori's long fingers being pressed against her lips. Blushing, the words died in her throat.

"Tonight is fine." He removed his finger, but she still found it difficult to speak.

"...oh...okay. um. where?" she asked in a subdued voice.

Mori shrugged. Kana rubbed the back of her neck, trying to look anywhere but at him. And his kilt. And his biceps. And the way his dark eyes glittered in the sunlight. She shook herself mentally. _Stop that! Focus!_

"Um...well, we could go to my house. It isn't far from school, and my parents are gone, so we wouldn't be...disturbed..." she trailed off, reddening at how that last part sounded. _And my father won't be there to tease me mercilessly, adding to my humiliation..._

Mori nodded, seemingly oblivious to Kana's inner turmoil.

"Uh...well then...I-I'll just...go get my things...and...we'll, uh...get...going..." Kana stammered, getting up from her seat.

Mori stood as well.

"Er...I'll meet you at the front entrance in...ten minutes...?" she asked.

Mori nodded.

Kana turned and scurried away, muttering incomprehensively to herself.

* * *

Mori made his way to the kendo dojo, where he kept a change of clothes and his school books. As he walked, he frowned slightly to himself, wondering why Kyoya had chosen him to be Kana-chan's tutor. After all, it was obvious that she was nervous around him. Afraid of him, even. He sighed, hanging his head slightly. Was he really that scary? Like Kasanoda and the others claimed? And what could he do about it?

_I'll find a way to make her more comfortable_, he decided. Then frowned. _And find out where she gets those cuts and bruises._ Nodding to himself, he hurried to change clothes, so he could meet Kana in front of the school in ten minutes.

END CHAPTER.

* * *

Hooray! At last! Sorry this chapter has taken me so long, everyone, I've been pretty busy with school. But I promise to press on! Your continued support and reviews inspire me to keep writing!

So, speaking of reviews, here is some fan mail!

The most recent topic was what super powers the hosts should have. Here were the results:

KYOUYA gets: the "golden touch", Batman, mind-reading/telepathy, or technopathy. I liked this comment from SuperSumer: "cold and calculating you may be kyoya but inside there is a nice guy just waiting to come out"! What do you say to that, Kyouya?

Kyouya: All interesting choices. Any of them would be an invaluable asset...*glasses gleam creepily*

Hunny: Kyo-chan! Are you really Batman? *jumps up and down excitedly*

Kyouya: *smiles slowly* No, of course not, Hunny-sempai. There is no resemblance between myself and Batman.

Harhuhi: *sarcastically* Oh no, of _course _not. A nice guy with a sense of justice pretending to be a rich bastard, ridiculously excessive funds and his disposal, along with nearly unheard-of technology...nope. Not like Kyouya _at all_. *rolls eyes*

I tend to agree with you, Haruhi...moving on, though...

MORI gets: the ability to talk to plants, super strength, ability to control animals, or undetectable telekinesis! *pictures Mori as a druid with physical attack abilities and telekinesis* I LIKE it! 3

Mori: ...*slight blush* I would like that...

HUNNY gets: mind control, or the ability to manipulate others using his cuteness...O_O That would be scary, guys...

Hunny: *huge puppy dog eyes* What would be scary, Lale-chan? Do you not think I'm cute? *tears*

Uhhhh...O_O On second thought, maybe he already has that ability. *sweatdrop* Moving on!

HARUHI gets: invisibility, sorcery (again!), immunity to other hosts' powers, and super speed to finish all your chores, homework, and host duties on time! SuperSumer also mentioned shield generation, because "You build barriers to keep from people hurting you..." I think that's true, don't you guys?

Hikaru: Definitely.

Kaoru: No doubt about it.

Tamaki: Yes, yes, my daughter does that...*nods seriously, rubbing his chin*

Kyouya: She does.

Mori: *nods silently*

Hunny: Haru-chan! You should ask for help when you need it! *worriedly*

Haruhi: Er...*sweatdrop* I don't know about barriers...but some of the other powers would be useful...I could do laundry faster, and get my shopping done...*taps her chin thoughtfully*

Oh, and rubyparker93 suggests that Haruhi has "the ability to unknowingly make people fall in love with her. It explains why practically half of the male cast does." Care to respond, boys?

Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru study the floor and walls with deep interest.

Haruhi: Er...o_O *sweatdrop* I don't think...

Yeah...moving onward...*evil grin*

TAMAKI gets: seduction, the ability to go without breathing, the ability to manipulate shadows or grow mushrooms (though I think he can already do this, rubyparker93! XD), and "invisibility because even though you are incredibly happy and cheerful, you hide doubts insecurities and fears too." (SuperSumer)

Tamaki: I...*gentle, slightly sad smile* Yes, I suppose I have my own fears, too. *frowns a bit* Do a really have the ability to manipulate shadows, Lale-chan?

Er...yes.

Tamaki: *confused look*

Don't worry about it, Tamaki...heh. Hey, Hikaru, it's your turn!

Hikaru: *looks down his nose at her skeptically* All right, wha'd your readers come up with?

HIKARU gets: "burning powers due to your great passion and temper, both of which like fire are completely uncontrollable" (SuperSumer)

Hikaru: O_O wha-uh...*looks a little embarrassed at the seriousness of her answer* Th-thanks...I think...*slight blush and frown*

KAORU gets: "freezing powers, because you have a better control of your temper, and being incased by ice is less painful (and less reminding of hell) than fire..." (SuperSumer)

Kaoru: *cheesy grin* Hey, thanks! *nudges Kaoru in the arm* "less reminding of hell" she says! Maybe we should work on your temper some more, Hikaru! *wink*

Hikaru: *yells angrily* I-I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT! Uh...*looks askance at readers* I guess I'll do more training...*shrugs, sighing*

Oh, and the two of you get to share some powers as well: heat vision, shadow manipulation, or "the ability to magically dress up their 'toys' in whatever outfits they wanted to..." (Aurora-16)

Hikaru and Kaoru: *evil grins* REEEAAALLLYY...*look over at Haruhi*

Haruhi: EHH? What ideas are you giving them, Aurora? O_O

Now, now, save your playtime until we're done with this post, please. We're done with the super powers section, but I do have one letter for Mori...

From: Zurla Adams

Can I ask Mori something? If so, what do you like on your tacos?

Hikaru: Ehh? What kinda question is THAT?

Haruhi: It is a little...o_O

Hunny: Shh! Takashi is thinking!

Mori: *A very serious, contemplative look on his face. He occasionally nods, as if pondering a very important problem. Finally, he opens his eyes with a spark, and turns to face Zurla-chan*

Meat.

*all sweatdrop*

Er...there you have it, Zurla-chan! Mori likes...meat. On his tacos. Do they have Mexican restaurants in Japan? I'm afraid I've never been there, so I wouldn't know...

AUTHOR THANKS:

Hippielicious: For teaching me more about tectonic plates, and commiserating with me about the lack of Mori plushies in this world. 3

Aspendragon, Random chick, blackhawk68, sillyxalicex, cwizumi, Maelie, AND EVERYONE ELSE who left such wonderful constructive reviews! These are my favorite; I learn a lot from what you like and what you don't. ^_^

Thank you RubyGirl12345, BEELZENEFF PWNS YOU ALL x3, Aurora-16, and SuperSumer for your super power suggestions!

Once again, I encourage you to please review! I am highly motivated by reviews. I read them all, and every time I get a new one, I do a little review dance. XD


	15. 15: Kasuga Estate

Hello all! Sorry it's been so long since the last update...school is really hectic right now, as I'm sure many of you are also experiencing, regardless of what year you are. It's the big push before Christmas break! Thank you all for your patience! I have no intention to abandon this story; I've worked too hard on it to quit now.

I want to thank everyone who shared where they're from. It's so cool to have readers from so many different places and countries! The internet is truly amazing, isn't it? Anyway, since I asked you, I will also share: I am from the beautiful state of Oregon in the USA! I love it here. ^_^

I'm sure you are much more interested in reading the chapter than my ramblings. Without further ado, I bring you...Chapter 15!

* * *

The car ride to Kana's estate was deafeningly quiet. Kana, who had just begun to string coherent sentences together in Mori's presence, was put entirely out of sorts by the notion of him coming home with her. The close proximity they found themselves in while riding in the town car did not help. Neither did the thin black t-shirt Mori now wore with jeans. Kana sank as far away from him in her seat as she could, trying not to make it obvious that she was doing so, and trying not to be so painfully conscious of his every movement. For the most part, she failed.

Mori spent the majority of the car ride trying to think of ways to put Kana at ease. He wasn't very good at small talk. Thinking hard, he remembered that Tamaki would often compliment girls in order to make them warm up to him. _What would Tamaki say_? He looked at Kana, eying her for a feature that would be a good candidate for compliments.

Kana felt Mori's eyes on her and looked determinedly out the window. She knew that if she turned and met his gaze, she would stammer and blush and make a general fool out of herself. She closed her eyes and sighed. _Why is this so difficult?_

As Mori looked Kana over he noticed the angry bruise that still marred her cheek. He frowned.

"You're hurt."

Kana glanced at him in surprise, and touched the side of her face gingerly. "This? Oh...I was telling the others about it today...one of the baby goats kicked me this weekend."

Mori raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"It's true!" Kana insisted, turning from the window to face him fully. "I was trying to free it from some barbed wire, and it got scared and kicked. That's what they do!" There was just a hint of defiance in her voice, as if she was daring him to tell her she had done something wrong. For the moment, at least, she seemed to have forgotten some of her nervousness.

Mori's steady gaze did not waver. "What about your leg?"

Kana faltered, unconsciously drawing her skirts closer around her, remembering the yakuza girl who had kicked her. She had told Kyouya and Tamaki that she had gotten hurt climbing trees, but she couldn't bring herself to lie to Mori. For several seconds, she struggled to find words.

Mori spoke again, more softly this time. "I heard you were being bullied..." he said, looking down at his knees.

"Th-that's not..." Kana started, but her voice trailed off again. She gulped. "Y-you don't need to worry about that. R-really."

The nervousness had returned to her voice. Mori looked up to find her trying to hide a blush. It seemed to him that she did that a lot.

Kana gave him an awkward smile. "I can deal with it myself. I'm used to stuff like this," she said, trying to be reassuring.

Both of Mori's eyebrows shot up this time. "Used to it?"

Kana opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out. She hadn't intended to talk about this. She looked around for inspiration, and was relieved to discover that they were pulling into her driveway.

"...ah...looks like we're here!" She said, a little too brightly. Without waiting for her chauffer to open the door for her, she hopped out of the car.

Mori shook his head slightly, but also stepped out of the car, slinging his school bag over one shoulder.

He paused slightly at his first look at the Kasuga estate. The house before him was plenty large by most standards, but it was no mansion. Mori realized that he had expected something larger for an ambassador's household. However, taking a closer look, Mori realized that the Kasgua estate had mostly invested in the land: to his left and right, and extending far behind the house, lay several acres of fields and orchards. Sakura trees lined the driveway and a private drive that wound around back of the house, presumably to the stables. He smiled slightly. It seemed an appropriate place for someone like Kana. At least there were plenty of trees for her to climb.

"Uhm..."

Mori looked down, realizing that Kana was standing in front of him, her right foot fidgeting nervously.

"W-Would you like to come in?"

"Ah."

A maid ushered them inside, and they stood awkwardly in the foyer for a moment.

"I-I'll go get changed. You know, out of my uniform. Into...something else. Er..." Kana stammered, not liking the way this was coming out. "...Just make yourself comfortable..." With that, she turned and scurried up the stairs to her bedroom, leaving Mori to the hospitality of the maids for the time being.

* * *

In the sanctuary of her bedroom, Kana drew a deep breath. Flick, excited to see her home, bounded toward her and she scooped him up.

"Chee?" He asked.

"I'm hopeless, Flick..." Kana whined. "I can't even speak right when he's around. How is he going to tutor me?"

"Chee..." Flick nuzzled her face sympathetically.

"Ugh...and I'm a terrible host. I left him down there all alone." She sighed, scratching Flick under the chin and closing her eyes in resignation. After a few moments, she opened them abruptly. "With the maids."

Casting Flick unceremoniously on the bed, she began ripping off her dress (not being as gentle as she could with the expensive fabric) and throwing on a pair of jeans at the same time. She paused just long enough to select an unrumpled red blouse from the back of her closet, put it on, and bolted from her room, smoothing her hair as she went.

* * *

When she arrived at the doorway to the living room, hair slightly tousled and breathing heavily, she discovered half the female staff there with Mori. He was sitting serenely on the couch, sipping tea, while the maids took turns peppering him with questions.

"So, you go to Ouran?"

"Ah."

"You're seventeen?"

"Ah."

"You're the kendo national champion?"

"Ah."

"Are you single?"

"All right, that's enough!" Kana interrupted, stepping into the room. The maids jumped slightly at her arrival. "I'll uh...take it from here," Kana said, looking around at them in what she hoped was a dignified manner. Twittering, the maids scurried out of the room, each murmuring about some chore or another that she had to attend to.

Kana cleared her throat and stepped toward the couch where Mori was sitting, still sipping tea. She sat in a chair across from him. "S-Sorry about that..." she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "They can be a little excitable sometimes."

Mori looked at her over the steam emanating from his mug. "They told me you gave them the weekend off."

The statement caught Kana off-guard. "Um...yes, I did," she admitted, wondering where he was going with this. However, Mori seemed disinclined to elaborate, and continued sipping his tea.

Kana sighed, wondering how she was going to survive this. Her mother was always such an excellent host, but the gene seemed to have skipped over Kana. She tried to think of what her mother would do in such a situation...then changed her mind. _That's how she ended up married to Dad..._Kana sighed, looking anywhere but at Mori. _It's like nothing fazes him...here he is, in a new place, with a girl he barely knows, and he's sipping tea like a Buddhist monk_. This line of thought lead Kana to picture Mori with a shaved head and orange tunic. The image was strangely fitting, and she suppressed a giggle.

Mori stopped mid-sip and arched an eyebrow at her.

"...oh...n-nothing...sorry..." she said, still giggling. Then an idea struck her. "Would...would you like a tour of the grounds?"

Mori set his tea down, having apparently just finished it. "Ah," he said, smiling.

They put their shoes back on and Kana led him outside, down the private drive.

As they walked along in silence, Mori once again began to contemplate ways in which he could put Kana at ease. _What am I doing that's scary_? He wondered. He tried to think of himself from her perspective. _If I were Kana..._ He glanced down at her, seeking inspiration. _She's tiny_...he mused to himself, observing how the top of her head would barely reach his chest. The thought made him feel unaccountably warm. He shrugged mentally. It was a sunny day.

Still, perhaps their difference in stature was the source of her nervousness. Thinking about it, Mori concluded that he must seem almost giant-ish in her eyes. But what to do about this? _Become shorter,_ he decided. Slowly, Mori crouched down, bending at the waist and knees so that he stood a good ten inches lower than he had before.

This is how it came about that when Kana turned to ask Mori a tentative question, she found his face on level with hers, and experienced a proximity to his brown eyes for which she was not quite prepared. Her mouth opened. No sound came out. Mori looked at her quizzically. A tiny, squeak-like noise made its way, unbidden, from her throat. She turned away, too quickly to see Mori's amused half-smile.

"...uhm... " She blushed, completely forgetting what she was going to say. "Th-the stables..." she mumbled, pointing to a set of long buildings in front of them. She pretended to be looking at something very interesting off the side of the drive.

Mori sighed quietly, straightening. Apparently she was still nervous. And yet..._that sound she made was kinda_...

One of the stablehands came running toward them at that moment, interrupting Mori's thought.

"Miss Kana! I'm glad you're home; I have a surprise for you!" he said, beaming eagerly. "One of the pregnant mares had her foal this morning, while you were at school. I know how much you love to see them, so I..." Suddenly, the stablehand noticed Kana's towering companion and paused slightly, surprised.

Kana recovered very quickly from her earlier discomfiture and turned toward the man, eyes glowing. "Oh! Is it a colt or a filly?"

"A...a colt..." the stablehand answered, looking from her to Mori in confusion. Miss Kana bringing home any person from school, much less a young man, caught him off-guard. However, Kana seemed oblivious to his confusion.

"Let's go see!" she said, turning to Mori excitedly. Once again, all her nervousness seemed to be forgotten.

Mori smiled, feeling a bit relieved. "Ah."

Kana wasted no time and began running toward the stables. Mori paused for one silent beat, then began to jog after her. His longer legs allowed him to overtake her easily, and together they arrived at the stables, Kana a little breathlessly.

The stablehand trotted up behind them. "She's in the third stall on the left," he informed them. No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Kana had begun tip-toeing her way there, trying to contain her excitement so as not to startle the young colt or its mother.

The stablehand rubbed the back of his head and chuckled softly. "She's always like this," he said to Mori in a low voice. "She loves the little ones best. Even helps with the foaling when she can; she'll make a good mother someday, I bet." He smiled warmly. "It's good to have her with us again. I heard she had a hard time in the States."

Mori listened silently, taking in the man's words. The girl in front of him tittered softly through the stall bars, her eyes dancing as she took in the four-legged bundle of joy. Something stirred in Mori's chest and he felt himself walking toward her. He leaned in for a better look at the colt.

"Handsome little guy, isn't he?" Kana whispered.

Mori looked down at her and smiled. "Ah."

They watched mother and colt together for several minutes in the warm silence of the barn. The stablehand, sensing something that neither teenager seemed to notice, quietly excused himself with a knowing smile. Slowly, Kana came out of her colt-induced trance to realize that she and Mori were quite alone in the barn, standing frighteningly close, and the atmosphere had become sort of...intimate. She gulped, feeling her neck, face, and ears grow hot.

"Um..." she mumbled, hardly daring to look up at him.

"Mm?" he responded. She could feel his eyes on the top of her head.

"Did...did you want to see more of the grounds?" she asked quietly.

"Ah."

"Well, um..." Kana started, hesitating. "The easiest way to see the grounds is on horseback. Can...do you ride?"

Mori did not respond for several moments. Kana looked up at him, worried that she had said something wrong. Mori was no longer looking at her, but was now staring off into space. His mind appeared elsewhere, and Kana wondered if he had even heard her.

"Um...Mori-sempai?"

Mori's eyes refocused and suddenly he was looking at her again.

Kana repeated her question tentatively. "...do you ride?"

Mori nodded once, but gave no further response.

"Then...we have riding boots that should fit you. Is that okay?"

Mori hesitated for a moment, then nodded again.

Kana fidgeted nervously, wondering at the change in Mori's mood. _He's so stoic...I don't even know how I know, but...I think something's bothering him. I wonder what it is..._

"Well, um...the tack room is this way, there are riding boots in there..." she motioned for him to follow her into a room only a few stalls down. Inside, several pairs of riding boots sat in cubbies along the wall. Kana selected a large pair and handed them shyly to Mori. "My dad's..." she said. "He's tall, too, so I thought..." she looked away, trying not to think about Mori and his tallness.

Mori took them gently from her hand, and Kana went to put on her own riding boots. When they were finished, the two went to select horses for their ride. Kana chose her favorite dapple grey mare, and Mori selected a palomino gelding. Kana noticed that the gelding took to Mori in a way that seemed almost unnatural; Mori had only to approach it and make a low clucking noise before the horse was nuzzling him affectionately. Kana watched the two of them in awe as she saddled her mare. _He's really amazing..._she mused to herself. _If only I could calm animals so well_.

Mori saddled the gelding expertly, as if he had done the task a thousand times. It was obvious to Kana that he was no stranger to horses. When they were both mounted and ready, he inclined his head for Kana to take the lead.

Kana felt her nervousness abate as she increased her mare's gait from a walk to a trot, then to a canter. Mori kept pace with her easily, and the two of them glided across the Kasuga grounds.

Kana lead them on a silent round through the orchards and fields of her family's ranch.

They passed by the goat pen, various chickens, horse stables, and a little creek that wound through a flower garden belonging to Kana's mother. They circled around back to the main stables. Kana felt exhilarated from the ride, and much more at ease than she had before. She turned to look at Mori. He was as impassive as ever, but Kana thought she saw a slight glimmer in his eye as they rode. He caught her gaze and smiled.

* * *

Two stablehands came to attend to the pair's horses while they changed back into regular shoes. "That was fun!" Kana exclaimed, stretching. Mori glanced up at her from where he had been unlacing her father's boots. She looked content, more at ease than he had yet seen her. He looked back down at the footwear he had borrowed, brows furrowing slightly.

"Thank you for these," he said, setting the boots gently aside.

"Oh! Don't mention it; my father would be pleased that they had a good ride," Kana responded brightly. She finished putting her regular shoes on and stood up, looking for Mori to follow her back to the main house.

Mori paused for a few moments. "Where is your father?"

The question startled Kana, and she blinked at him for a few moments before answering. _That came out of...no where..._"Um...well, he and my mother are on a business trip..." Kana trailed off, not really wanting to say more.

Mori nodded. He gave Kana a quick, unreadable look before standing to follow her back to the main house.

_Odd_...Kana thought, but turned to go.

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

FAN MAIL:

From lostpuzzle: "Let Mori-sempai know that us amazingly quiet and stoic people will one day rule the world, kay?"

Mori: O_O

Hunny: Uwaaa! Takashi, you hear that? You could rule the world one day!

Mori: *shakes head adamantly*

Hunny: Awww, Takashi, I think you'd be good at it! *whispering to lostpuzzle* He's just being shy...

Mori: *looks slightly uncomfortable, runs a large hand through his hair* Mmn.

Hunny: Thanks, Puzzle-chan!

From sethrox9730: "I have some advice for Kana: Maybe you should try to relaxaround...*glances at Mori* this person you like. You already know your common ground *cough cough* animals *cough cough*, so if you talk about something you love with him on the walk to your house maybe you will relax by the time you get there to tutor."

Kana: *turns red* Uhhhh...I guess...maybe...I could...do that. I mean, we sort of did that. Er...

Mori: *glances over*

Kana: Eep! W-w-w-were you listening?

Mori: *shakes head, looking inquisitive now*

Kana: O_O Never mind! I...I have something I have to go do! Right now! Far away! *runs off*

Mori: ...*expression unreadable*

From SuperSumer: "Please tell Hikaru i meant him having uncontrollable passion and anger in a good way, because he is so loyal and hard working and committed :):) sorry if I sounded mean Hika!"

Hikaru: *looks at SuperSumer out the corner of his eye* Eh...don't worry about it. *rubs the back of his neck, blushing slightly*

From PerfectlyCrazyInEveryWay: "If the host club were to somehow be stranded in the middle of the desert what would each of you do?

Mori: *deadly serious* The first thing to do when stranded in the desert is search for shade and water.

Hunny: Takashi knows lots about survival! *nods proudly* He'll take care of you, Kana-chan!

Kana: Wait...what? O_O

Mori: *nods somberly at Kana* Stay with me.

Kana: ...

I think you broke her, Mori. *pokes Kana* She's not moving.

Mori: *looks tremendously concerned and bends down to look at Kana, very close to her face*

Kana: O_O meep.

Well, I'll leave you two to be awkward together...Oh, PerfectlyCrazy has more to ask...

"Also If you had to sacrifice one of the other members for who knows what reason like for example a sacrifice to a volcano, which member would you pick?"

Hikaru and Kaoru: *looking at each other and shrugging* Throw m'lord in!

Tamaki: *gesticulating dramatically* I WOULD SACRIFICE MYSELF IN PLACE OF MY DEAR FAMILY! *grabs Haruhi and squeezes her* NO ONE SHALL SACRIFICE MY DEAR DAUGHTER!

Haruhi: ...ack...Sempai...let go...can't...breathe...

Kyouya: *adjusting his glasses* I would arrange a lottery in such a situation.

Interesting responses...anyway...*looks through fanmail*

Spirit-of-the-Rain sent a very long letter addressing each of our cast members. It was so long that we don't have time to respond to everything! However, please know that all the characters read their respective letters and appreciate your words. ^_^

Thank you everyone for all the reviews! I'm so touched... :')

Unfortunately, I had so many that I couldn't possibly include all of them in our fan mail section (or it would take me an extra couple of weeks to get the chapter out...^_^;). But I read every one of them, and I thank all of you. So does the cast, right everyone?

Kana: ummm...th-thank you, everybody...

Mori: Ah.

Hunny: Uwaaa! Thank you everyone!

Tamaki: I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to all the beautiful ladies who have reviewed this story. *bows* It is truly an honor.

Flick: Chee!

Kyouya: *smiles brightly* Thank you, young misses. It is a pleasure to serve. *turns away and strokes his chin thoughtfully, probably wondering if there is some way to profit from this*

Hikaru: *looks bored* Yeah, yeah, we get this kind of treatment all the time...*slight blush as he looks away, trying to be nonchalant*

Kaoru: *grins* Don't pay any attention to Hikaru, he's really happy!

Hikaru: Kaoru! *blushing openly now*

Kaoru: Thanks, everyone!

Author thanks: Schnitzel, blackhawk68, parris411, Molly Strife for your touching and helpful reviews! I always like to know what people like specifically about the story, as well as suggestions or other comments you might have.

Please continue to send in fan mail! The cast will continue to respond to as many as they can. ^_^

Until next time!


	16. 16: Tutoring

As I was re-reading through the previous chapters, fixing honorifics and whatnot (which I have been too lazy to upload yet) I realized that I said chapter seven was "getting close to the halfway point." It...uh...wasn't. I was convinced by some friends to extend the story farther than was my original plan, and now my outline is 20+ chapters long. I intend to finish, despite how awful I've been about updating. I think this is my favorite fanfiction I've ever written, and I've really enjoyed working on it so far. Thank you everyone for reading along! I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. ^_^

Also, I just want to note that when I write these chapters, they have formatting. And real paragraph indentations. And section breaks. I am sure there are ways to convert these into the document that appears on , but it does not happen automatically, and like I said, I'm lazy. I just wanted you to know that they exist, if only on my computer, in Word document form... T_T Anyway, on to the story...

EDIT: Finally fixed the section breaks, so it should be easier to read, now. Sorry, everyone!

* * *

When they returned to the house, Kana retrieved her history textbook, laid it across the table in the living room, and the two of them sat down across from each other with the intent of actually studying.

Mori stared at Kana silently. This was an unnerving way to begin.

"Er..." she flipped aimlessly through the textbook. "Well...where should we...?"

Mori reached across the table to turn the book so he could look at it. In the process, he inadvertently brushed her hand, but did not seem to notice. _Erk_...Kana withdrew her hand, which felt strangely tingly. _Focus, Kana...focus._

"You should be studying the Meiji era about now," Mori said, snapping her attention back to the task at hand. "What can you tell me about it?"

Kana swallowed. The first thing that came to her mind when hearing "Meiji era" was Rurouni Kenshin, not her history class. However, this was probably not the answer Mori was looking for. "Um...it started in the 1800s..."

Mori continued to stare at her unblinkingly. He seemed to expect more. Kana found herself turning red. "It...um...marked the end of the shogunate..."

Mori nodded once, trying to encourage her to continue. Kana ducked her head, waiting for him to realize how stupid she really was on this subject.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Mori spoke. "You mentioned the shogunate. That's important. What do you know about that?"

"Um..." Kana thought hard. This part of history had been slightly more interesting, and the subject of a few anime shows she had watched. "The period before Meiji...that was the Edo period. There was peace and prosperity in Japan for a long time, and farming and agriculture were highly valued. But..."

"But...?" Mori encouraged her. Despite himself, a small smile was beginning to tug at his lips.

"Well, there was famine in the country, and with the rest of the world advancing in technology, Japan couldn't really maintain its agrarian way of life. They tried to isolate themselves from foreigners, but it didn't work out very well. Eventually, they had to open themselves up to the rest of the world. When that happened, a lot of the old ways faded away." Kana looked wistful as she said this.

"Like the samurai," Mori added quietly.

Kana glanced at him, startled. For a moment, she recalled the image of him performing in the kendo tournament, and the graceful, powerful way he moved. Her mind changed the image to a vision of Mori in a real 18th-century battle. It suited him oddly well. She blushed. "Yes...like the samurai." Mori looked down at the textbook, but his eyes seemed slightly unfocused, like he was thinking about something else. After a few moments of silence, Kana shifted nervously and stood up. Her movement seemed to startle Mori out of his reverie, and he looked up at her, eyebrows raised.

"I'm just going to...uh...go and see if the maids can find some snacks for us. You're probably hungry after the horseback ride."

Mori nodded, and Kana took the opportunity to disappear into the sanctuary of the hallway.

* * *

She found one of the maids standing with her ear suspiciously near the door as she rounded the corner into the next room. "Were you listening?" Kana asked, wondering if this situation could possibly get any more embarrassing. The maid began innocently scrubbing a nonexistent spot on the door with her apron. "Who me, Miss?" She asked with a bright smile. "Listening to what?"

Kana sighed. "Never mind. Say, could we get something to eat? We're a little hungry from the horseback ride..." The maid bowed politely. "But of course, Miss. I will see to it right away," she smiled again as she turned to go, then paused. "Enjoy your date!" she said cheerily, and disappeared. "It's not a _date!_" Kana squeaked, more loudly than she intended. The musical laughter of several maids from various rooms in her vicinity was the only response she received. Kana blushed furiously, stomping her foot in a futile gesture of protest.

Mori, of course, heard the entirety of this conversation, as he was sitting only a few rooms away and his hearing was exceptional. While the maids in his household were considerably more well-mannered (to his recollection, they had not attempted to tease him since he was a small child, the way Kana's appeared to enjoy teasing her), he was familiar with their ways and felt some sympathy for Kana. He smiled slightly as he imagined what her face might look like at the moment. She seemed prone to blushing, something he had always found endearing about the few shy customers who came his way at the host club.

* * *

As Kana made her way sheepishly back to the living room, she was still blushing slightly, and Mori put on his most convincing poker face. It was something he did very well. He said nothing as Kana cleared her throat and sat across from him once more, looking nervously at the book before them.

"I think I've told you all I know..." she said, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Mm." He nodded.

They sat in awkward silence for a few moments. _He must think I'm an idiot..._Kana thought, wincing inwardly. Ayanokoji's taunts surfaced in her mind as the silence in the room grew thicker.

"_Tell me, Kana, did your father use his political influence to get you admitted into this class? Because I don't see how you could have achieved it on your own merit..."_

Shutting her eyes against the memory, Kana sighed, and spoke again, half to herself. "I guess...I'm pretty stupid..."

The words were hardly out of her mouth before Mori shifted, reaching across the table and touched his fingers gently but firmly to her lips. "No, you aren't," he said, with unexpected severity. "Don't say that."

His gesture startled Kana, and she looked at him with disbelief. She had begun to think that Mori's placid nature knew no bounds, and could not comprehend why her one thoughtless comment had set him off so intensely.

"I...um..." she gulped. He held her with his eyes, not quite glaring, but intimidating nonetheless.

When he saw her discomfiture, he softened. "You know more than you think. Everything you told me was accurate. Now it's just a matter of building on what you already know." Slowly, he settled back into his seat, resuming his posture as if nothing had happened.

Kana wasn't sure she could recover so easily. She felt a pressing need to say something to acknowledge what had just happened, almost to reassure herself she hadn't imagined it. "I'm sorry," she said, forcing herself to meet his unwavering eyes. "I know I'm not stupid. It's just frustrating, being so far behind. I feel like I can't catch up; that even when I make progress, I'll always be the same distance behind everyone else. At this rate, I'll fail the class. Th-that's why..." she swallowed, struggling not to stammer. "That's why I need help. In order to catch up to the class, I need to learn this at a _faster_ rate than everyone else. And...it's not my best subject." Finally, she couldn't take his gaze anymore and looked away. "I don't expect you to-"

"I will help you," he said, interrupting her.

She blinked at him, as a cocktail of confused feelings began to bubble up inside of her. She felt very warm. "M-mori-sempai...I..."

"On one condition," he interrupted her again, eyes narrowing. She gulped. This couldn't be good.

"Wh-what's that?"

He leaned forward, capturing her with his gaze again, giving her the impression that she wasn't allowed to look away this time. She didn't, but it was very difficult.

"Tell me honestly. Have people been bullying you at school?"

Kana opened her mouth, but for several moments, no sound came out. This was not what she expected him to ask. To be honest, she wasn't sure _what_ she had expected him to ask; Mori didn't seem the type to demand money or some other monetary compensation (unlike a certain glasses-wearing host that came to mind), but she hadn't anticipated him asking her about the bullying. She hadn't intended to talk about it. But Mori would probably see through any lie she told, and she had a strange feeling she wouldn't be able to make herself lie to him anyway. Especially not when he looked so earnest. And not when he was leaning so close to her. Oh, dear.

Kana shut her mouth, swallowed, and considered answering him, but knowledge of the Japanese language seemed to have escaped her for the moment. Slowly, she nodded. Mori's eyebrows drew together dangerously.

"By whom?"

"A-Ayanokoji," How she managed to say that name when she could barely remember her own at the moment was beyond her comprehension.

"Still?"

"Er...yes."

"Have you told anyone?"

"Well...Tamaki and Kyouya know...sort of. And Haruhi. Sort of. And...you."

Mori sighed, and reached over the table to place one of his large hands on her shoulder. Kana gulped.

"Kana. Your friends are here to help you. You should confide in them."

"I...I..." Kana blushed, despite her best efforts not to. "I'm...used to it. Don't worry about it."

Mori's grip on her shoulder tightened slightly. "Used to it?"

_Argh_. Kana mentally chided herself. She hadn't meant to go into this history with anyone, much less Mori. She sighed. "I went to an all-girl boarding school when I was in America. A lot of things happened there. I wasn't...very popular. They called me a lot of names, and worse. I-I just learned to...deal with it." She shrugged half-heartedly, looking away from him. "Is that...enough information?"

Tentatively, Mori released her. "Yes. I'm sorry." He looked away.

"It's...okay." Kana had a terrible feeling she might cry.

After a few moments of tense silence, Mori stood. "It's getting late. I should go."

"Ah! Y-yes, of course..." Kana stood as well, hurriedly. "I'm sorry."

* * *

Mori quietly gathered his bag, called for a car to pick him up, and Kana walked him to the foyer. At the doorway, he paused and turned to look at her. She was staring at the floor, as if she wished she could crawl away under the floorboards. Mori felt a pang in his chest, and he stepped toward her. "Kana."

She looked up, surprised.

"I will help you with your history," he said, gently resting his hands on her shoulders. He looked at her for a long moment, as if thinking about saying something else. Kana waited, a little breathlessly, but Mori apparently decided against whatever he was going to say. With a small, almost imperceptible squeeze of her shoulders, he turned to go. He looked over his shoulder and gave her one last half-smile and a wave of his hand.

After the door closed behind him, Kana stood alone in the foyer for several moments. Mori's hands had left a lingering warmth where he had touched her shoulders. _He called me "Kana"..._ Confused emotions muddled inside her as she stood there, trying to make sense of what had just happened. She thought about her day with Mori at the host club, the horseback ride, tutoring...she realized she had begun to feel almost comfortable around him. When had the conversation become so uncomfortable? She turned it over and over in her mind, trying to think of what she could have done or said differently, but it was difficult to think clearly. She realized she was still tired from the little sleep she had gotten the previous night. Sighing, she turned to go upstairs, to give her thoughts over to her pillow and down comforter. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

* * *

From the hallway, one of the maids discreetly watched the exchange with a troubled expression. Another came up and whispered something to her. She shook her head. "Put the food away. I don't think Miss Kana will be wanting it right now. We'll save it for another time." She turned to go attend to her duties elsewhere in the house. _But...I hope that young man comes again. For Miss Kana's sake._

* * *

The young man in question was currently riding in a stretch limo on his way back to his house, deep in thought. He pulled out his cell phone and pressed a few buttons that would call his best friend and cousin, and pressed the receiver to his ear. A cheery voice picked up on the other end.

"Takashi! Are you finished at Kana-chan's already?"

"Mn."

Hunny immediately picked up that something was amiss in his friend's tone. "...Taka, what happened?" he asked, growing serious. "Is Kana-chan all right?"

"She's being bullied."

Hunny sighed. "We thought so, huh? Poor Kana-chan! Do you think Tama-chan might do something about it, Takashi?"

Mori grunted something inaudible. "If he doesn't, I will."

END CHAPTER.

* * *

We have come to the end of chapter 16! Sorry for the long wait, everyone. I am hoping that, now that I am on the home stretch for school and things are not quite as crazy, I'll have more time to update. Anyway, before we close, time for some fan mail!

Fan Mail:

From Rainspiral:

"Oh by the way Hunny are you planning anything with those two? And I think you can gather what I mean."

Hunny: *huge innocent eyes* Planning? Whatever do you mean, Rainspiral? I just think Kana-chan and Taka would get along and we can have lots of fun and eat cake together! *smiles* That's all!

Kana and Mori: *look over, hearing their names*

Kana: Huh?

Mori: ...

Hunny: Never mind! *smile* *smile*

From: Goldenclawxxx13:"I have a question towards Kana. Is there anyone you know of who can handle Kyouya? I mean, Kyouya needs someone who can handle and keep him calm, not all creepy and all-knowing like."

Kana: *taking this question very seriously* Hmmm. For Kyouya? I'm sorry, I don't really know very many people at Ouran yet...so I don't know who would be good. But...*sly smile* I agree, he needs someone who can _handle_ him.

Kyouya: Beg pardon?

Kana: Oops...uh...eheheh...nothing!

Kyouya: *glasses gleaming* I see. You know, I was thinking about letting Mori-sempai look at your history notes. It may be necessary for him to properly assist you in tutoring. He would most likely appreciate your...ah...artwork, as well...

Kana: *dramatic blush* AH! N-n-no! That-That's-! I didn't mean it! I...I...

Kyouya: *slow smile* Very well. We'll wait on that.

Looks like that conversation fell flat, Goldenclaw...oh well. I know some other authors around on FFN that probably have some ideas for Kyouya, though. ^_~

Kyouya: ...

From: Aurora-16: "A question for Hikaru and Kaoru. Are they available for the weekend? **smiles** jk lol cyber cupcakes to you with extra for Hunny!"

Hikaru: *opens one eye, lazily* That depends.

Kaoru: *half-grin* What did you have in mind?

Hunny: YAY! Cupcakes!

From AnimeVamp1997: Haha! I have a question! It's for all of the hosts! What would you do if you only had a day to live? Hmmm? Oh yeah, and to Kana: Gat it on, girl! We need progress! And if you don't stop being shy, you'll never get the man *COUGH*Mori*COUGH* of your dreams!

One day to live, huh? Well, let's see what they say...

Kyouya: *adjusts glasses* I would do what I could to ensure the security of my family's company.

Tamaki: *horrified* Mom! You would spend your last day _working_? What about our family? I would certainly spend my final day with my beloved daughter. *throws his arms dramatically around Haruhi, shedding a tear*

Haruhi: *deadpan* I would spend the day with my _real_ father.

Tamaki: *cultivates mushrooms*

Hikaru and Kaoru: *snatching Haruhi while Tamaki is preoccupied*

Kaoru: We would definitely spend the day together!

Hikaru: With Haruhi!

Haruhi: *grumbling* But I already said...

Hikaru and Kaoru: *interrupting, sing-song* With Haruhi! With Haruhi! With Haruhi!

Tamaki: T_T

Hunny: *seriously* I would eat lots and lots of cake with Usa-chan and Takashi!

Mori: *small smile at Hunny* Ah. *quick, hardly noticeable glance at Kana*

Kana: Huh?

Hunny: *looking between the two of them, a broad smile forming on his face* Oh, I get it, Takashi! Of course, Kana-chan could come, too!

Mori: *smiles more broadly, looking openly at Kana*

Kana: *surprised blush* A-ah! Oh...I...*shuffling her feet*

Mori: *smiles and ruffles her hair*

Kana: *gulps*

Kana, part of that letter was addressed to you. I think you should respond...?

Kana: Oh! Uh...*re-reads the letter*

Mori: *tries to read over her shoulder*

Kana: *turning red to the roots of her hair* EEP! *snatches the letter away from Mori's sight* I-I-I...uh...

Mori: *gently* Hm?

Kana: I-I-I...

Hm. I don't think the "stop being shy" thing is going to happen anytime soon, AnimeVamp. But we'll see. ^_^

From .Uchiha: This is a fan-mail addressed to Flick: Flick maybe you should hide in Mori's book bag one day when you stowaway in Kana's and end up at school. Be a secret agent fox squirrel. It would make the two of them bond because Mori would have to give you back. Just think it over, cause we both know you're a super smart squirrel, and you want to see Kana happy.

Flick: *eyes widen* Chee! Chee! *jumps on Saya's shoulder, trilling and giving her foxsquirrel kisses*

Kana: Flick, what are you doing?

Flick: *blinks innocently* Chee? *winks at Saya before disembarking from her shoulder and making his way to his master, with a sly, sidelong glance at Mori.*

Flick seems to like this idea, Saya. We'll see how it works out...

Author Thanks: Everyone! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! I am honored that people are still reading my little story. ^_^ Until next time!


	17. 17: Soapy

Everyone! My deepest apologies for how long I've been in updating. School devoured me the past few months, but now I'm back! I hope to be better about updating now for the next few months, while things are quieter.

Also, I highly recommend heading over to strongandsilentalchemist's account and reading the story "Host Club Letters". She's been doing requests and I shamelessly requested a letter sent from Mori to Kana. Go read it, and perhaps request a letter of your own! Cute and fun stuff. ^_^

Incidentally, if anyone ever felt like doing fanart for PSOTG, I would be full of admiration, love, and offerings of cyber cake from Hunny. I am a woeful excuse for an artist, I'm afraid, and my own attempts, though posted on deviantart, embarrass me. -_-;

* * *

Kana sighed as she glanced over the small pile of notes in her locker. The overall message appeared to be a low assessment of her intelligence, followed by various arguments for why she should leave Ouran (among them were her negative impact on the school's reputation and a list of consequences she would incur if she did not comply), and a rude implication about her intentions toward the host club members, all colored with language that seemed unbecoming of the ladies and gentlemen at Ouran High School. There was one letter that mentioned her father's political work and appeared to have darker intentions, but she did not read it all the way through and crumpled it up quickly. She then made her way to a gilded garbage can and disposed of them all. Some students watched her do this with discrete glares. _What a way to start the day_.

This was not the first incident of the morning. She had discovered strategically placed tacks on her desk chair, followed by wet paint, and a missing gym uniform which caused her to lose points in gym class. As she sat on the sidelines, watching the rest of the class play basketball, Tamaki and Kyouya approached her.

Before either of them could speak, she smiled and said, "Wow, I didn't realize the two of you could play so well! You must have practiced."

Tamaki, who had been looking worried, immediately beamed. "Well, I don't like to brag..."

"Oh, don't be so modest."

"Ahem." Kyouya interrupted. "As flattering as your compliment is, Kana-hime, we were _actually_ going to ask you," he gave Tamaki a disparaging look, "why you seem to be without a gym uniform today."

Kana laughed, hoping it sounded natural. "Oh, I just forgot it today. You know how clumsy I am!"

Tamaki smiled softly, indulging her self-depreciating humor without necessarily agreeing with it.

Kyouya stared at her, unblinking. "Yes, I do know how clumsy you are. Clumsy enough to manage to knock over all the furniture in the club room in a matter of minutes, in fact. It was quite impressive."

Kana felt herself twitch. "Hey, I had help with that!"

"Yet, somehow, I doubt that your clumsiness is the reason you do not have a gym uniform today. Or the reason you've been checking your desk chair for tacks every time you sit down. I also doubt that the collection of notes you received in your locker today were _love_ letters."

"H-how did you know...?"

"Mori-sempai would not be that verbose."

Kana blushed to the tips of her ears. "That's not what I meant and you know it!"

Kyouya shrugged.

Tamaki's eyes narrowed. "Kana-chan. Are people bothering you today?"

Kana looked away. "Y-you don't need to worry about it."

"Maybe you should come to the host club after school."

She started to protest. "But I did everything you-"

Kyouya held up a hand. "The deal is finished. You have your tutor. But you are still welcome to visit." He smiled. "For the company, if nothing else."

Kana looked at the two boys smiling down at her and blushed. "I...I guess I could do that."

They turned to walk away. Kana was just beginning to feel that Kyouya was not as bad as he seemed when he turned and looked over his shoulder. "Of course, you'll still be expected to pay."

With that, he followed Tamaki back to the basketball court, leaving Kana to stamp her foot in indignation.

* * *

As the end of the school day grew nearer, Kana began to remember the events of the previous night. Suddenly, the prospect of seeing Mori again made her nervous. _What will he do if he finds out people were bullying me today?_ She ducked her head in shame at the idea. _I've never seen him look so earnest._ These thoughts occupied her so much that she hardly noticed when the bell rang, signaling that her final class was over.

"Kana-hime, you're coming to the host club today, right?" Tamaki asked her excitedly, hovering.

"Huh? Oh, um...s-sure. I guess." She gulped, torn between wanting the company of people who didn't seem to hate her, and dreading Mori's penetrating gaze. "Just...give me a few minutes, okay? I want to...uh...freshen up first." She tried to smile.

Tamaki smiled warmly in return. "Then we shall await your arrival, princess!" He bowed flamboyantly, then turned to leave, with Kyouya following. Kana became aware of how nearly every female in the room turned and glared in her direction. Attention from Tamaki did nothing to endear her to many of her classmates. One girl, however, whom Kana vaguely remembered seeing at the host club more than once, smiled brightly at her.

"You're going to the host club today, too? That's great, Kana-chan! See you there!" She turned to go, following Tamaki and Kyouya with an adoring look.

It occurred to Kana that she had never seen the girls who were glaring at her while she was at the host club. _But if they're so possessive of Tamaki, why don't they go see him? _She pondered this as she gathered her things and left the room as quickly and discreetly as she could, not wanting to attract more attention. _I suppose a possessive person would have a difficult time at the host club...seeing the hosts giving attention to all the other girls. Fights would probably start, and I can't see them putting up with that. _

She made her way to girls' restroom, deciding that "freshening up" wouldn't be such a bad idea. She checked her hair for twigs. There were none, since she had not been climbing trees today, and her dress appeared to be free of grass stains. _It would almost be better if there were grass stains. I look much better in green than in yellow._ She made a face at the mirror, smoothed her hair, checked her teeth, and decided there was little she could do to improve her appearance beyond that.

She opened the door to exit the restroom, and was immediately doused in cold, soapy water.

"That should "freshen" you up!" one voice yelled. Kana heard a number of people running in various directions, but because of the soap in her eyes, she couldn't see who they were. She ran back into the restroom.

After several seconds of frantically rinsing out her eyes and mouth (why did humans have to open their mouths when surprised?) she dried her face and looked once again into the mirror. _Before I was just a girl in an ugly, yellow dress. Now I'm a drowned rat in an ugly, yellow, wet dress._ She sighed. _I don't think I'll be going to the host club today._

She opened the restroom door a crack, checking to see if there were any more nasty surprises waiting for her. She didn't see anybody. _I think I'll try to sneak to the locker rooms and find a towel to dry off. At least it wasn't paint._

Quietly, she tip-toed down the hall, which was blessedly empty at the moment. She inevitably ran into a few students who were late for club meetings, and they gave her strange looks, but nothing worse than that. She was just about to turn the corner to where the girls' locker rooms were located, when she heard two voices behind her.

"_There_ you are!"

"Trying to escape?"

Kana cringed, thinking she was in for more trouble, and turned to face whoever-it-was. The two red-headed twins from the host club grinned down at her.

"We found you!"

Kana gulped. This was a different kind of trouble.

"Er...I was just...um...going to...dry off." She pointed toward the locker rooms. "And I'm not really dressed for the host club at the moment, so I think I'll just call my driver and-" the twins each grabbed one of her arms, lifting her off the ground and dragging her in the direction from which they came.

"Oh is that all?

"No need for _that_, princess! We have everything you need at the host club! A shower, towels..."

Kana started to protest. "But-! I don't have a change of clothes or anything-"

The two golden-eyed boys turned to smile at her mischievously.

"Didn't we say we have _everything_ you need?"

"Leave the change of clothes to us."

With that, they quickened their pace, skipping toward the Third Music Room and chanting something about playing "dress-up."

* * *

Mori sat at his customary windowsill, waiting for the Host Club to open business for the afternoon. They were running late, because they were still waiting for the twins to return. When Kyouya and Tamaki arrived earlier, Kyouya had taken Hikaru and Kaoru aside and spoke with them in low tones for a few moments. The twins grinned eagerly and took off to complete whatever errand the shadow king had seen fit to assign them. It was difficult for Mori to imagine what sort of task that could be; the free-spirited twins disliked being used as errand boys, but one could trust Kyouya to use people according to their own talents and interests. He frowned. It was likely he was being used in a similar way as Kana's tutor, but Mori could not imagine what Kyouya stood to gain from that arrangement.

Thinking about Kana returned Mori to his melancholy reverie. She had told him the night before that she was being bullied by Ayanokoji, and, he guessed, probably others at school. He had not yet decided what to do about this. She had not asked for help, and he was not one to push himself on others, but if she was in danger of being harmed...

His thoughts were interrupted by the noisy return of Hikaru and Kaoru. Looking up, he saw they carried between them a short, yellow-clad someone. Who appeared to be dripping wet. And, he realized with a start, looked very much like Kana. He jumped to his feet, which earned him a horrified look from the dripping wet someone, who turned bright red and ducked her head, and a sly, all-too-knowing grin from Kaoru before he and his brother whisked her away to the bathroom. Mori started after them.

Kyouya stepped in front of him nonchalantly.

"No need for concern, Mori-sempai. Kana-hime just needs to clean up, dry off, and change her clothes. Hikaru and Kaoru are well-practiced in that department, and will observe all necessary proprieties. I can also assure you that Kana-hime is quite unhurt."

Mori made to push Kyouya out of the way, feeling a strange need to verify that last assurance with his own eyes, but Kyouya stopped him again.

"Unless you wish to further humiliate her, I suggest you stay here. I don't think she wants to be seen at the moment." He smiled and walked away, leaving Mori standing in the middle of the Music Room, feeling deflated.

* * *

"Ack! I can undress myself!" Kana shrieked, shoving the door closed in Hikaru's face.

"Hand us the dress through the door, then, so we can send it for washing!"

"The water will ruin the fabric!"

Kana sighed, exasperated, and began to peel off the wet, soapy uniform. The twins were right; the Music Room, for some reason, was equipped with a full shower and several clean, fluffy towels. While she was thankful for the privacy and facilities, she had a terrible feeling the twins had lured her into a tap. Well, _dragged_ her into a trap, more like.

"You done yet?" the door handle jiggled menacingly.

"Hold on! Don't come in!" Kana's voice pitched into a squeak, and she heard devious chuckles on the other side, but the handle stopped jiggling. She quickly stepped out of the dress and clutched the door protectively.

"I'm going to hand it through now, okay?" she asked.

"Okay, okay! Hurry up!"

Carefully, she opened the bathroom door just a crack, and handed the dress through.

"We'll bring you a change of clothes," Kaoru said, taking the dress.

"We'll leave them just inside the door," Hikaru added.

Kana shut the door with more force than she intended, not relishing a boy entering the room while she was showering, even if there was a curtain.

"Don't worry! We won't peek!" Kaoru called after her.

"Yeah, Mori-sempai would kill us!" Hikaru's comment was followed with boisterous laughter, which began to fade away as the twins presumably left to have her dress cleaned and fetch her a change of clothes.

Kana felt her face turning red at the thought of Mori. She looked in the mirror, her underthings and hair still soapy and dripping wet. _He _saw_ me...and the look on his face_...! Shaking her head, she peeled off the rest of her things and stepped into the shower.

* * *

When she emerged, she was surprised to find a pile of clothing waiting for her on a stool by the door. She hadn't even heard the twins come in. To her horror, her wet underthings, which she had left in a pile in the corner, were missing. She had been provided new ones with the clean clothes. The Hitachiins were nothing if not thorough. Sighing, Kana dried off and began to look through what they brought her.

The twins had selected a deep blue blouse with off-the-shoulder sleeves and a casual black skirt with asymmetrical layering and a gold buckle at the hip. It took her several minutes to reason out how to put on either of them. When she had finally got them on, and was fairly certain they were not inside out or backwards, she appraised herself in the mirror.

_Freckles everywhere,_ she thought, eying her exposed shoulders critically. _And the skirt_...she fought down a blush as she tugged at the hem..._is too short._

A sharp knock on the door made her nearly jump out of her skin.

"Oi! Are you done yet? The water's been off awhile..." One of the twins called.

"Er...yes...but-"

The door opened a crack.

"You dressed?"

Kana jumped again, and whirled to face the door, still clutching the hem of her skirt.

"A-ah...y-yes, but-!"

No sooner had she given an affirmative answer than the twins burst into the room and began to study her with interest.

"You were right about the color, Kaoru."

"Mmhm. I thought her legs would be too skinny for that skirt, but she has some muscle."

"Not too flat, either!"

Kana gasped indignantly at their comments and crossed her arms over her chest. "St-Stop that! Wh-Why are you-"

Kaoru grinned at her. "Our mom's a fashion designer, remember? It's in our blood!"

Hikaru took her arm and began dragging her out the door into the adjacent dressing room. "C'mon! Let's finish up!"

"F-finish up? What does _that_ mean?"

Kaoru laughed and pushed her along from behind, chattering to his brother about the merits of braids versus curls.

* * *

Mori stopped pacing every few minutes to look worriedly at the door to the club's dressing room. The customers had begun to arrive, and several were lined up at the promise of "makeover day", courtesy of the Hitachiin twins. Kana was, apparently, their first project. Mori had a feeling she was not a voluntary participant.

Finally, the door opened, and the twins emerged with triumphant looks on their faces.

"Ladies and gentlemen,"

"May we present..."

"Kasuga Kana-hime!"

Kana emerged from the doorway looking nervously at her shoes and tugging discreetly at the hem of her skirt. The twins had pulled her hair away from her face into a high ponytail, making her blush difficult to miss. Mori found his eyes drawn to her bare shoulders, which were dotted here and there with freckles. When he glanced back to her face, he realized with a start that she was looking at him, and that he had been staring.

The other customers oohed and aahhed for a few moments over her new wardrobe and hair before the twins gave her a shove in Mori's direction. She was so distracted by the strange, intent look on his face that she gave a start and tripped over her shoes, practically landing in Mori's arms. The customers loved this, and several swooned, or murmured something about "moe". They were then distracted by the twins calling the next girl for a makeover.

Mori opened his mouth with the intention of asking Kana if she was all right, but she looked up at him, eyes wide, and all that came out was, "...Cute..."

At this, her eyes went even wider, and she flushed and ducked her head. "Uhm...the outfit? Yeah, Hikaru and Kaoru picked it...I guess...I mean...it's just...i-it's a little..."

Mori steadied her on her feet and she tugged and smoothed the fabric until she felt it was covering as much of her as possible. Not that it was exactly immodest, but she felt a little...exposed.

"Uwaah! Kana-chan, you look so cute! Ne, Takashi?" Hunny exclaimed, bouncing up to them.

"...Ah."

Kana waved her hands at them in a gesture of protest. "...Ah...no! I mean...i-it's not...I'm not...my-my uniform got wet, so I had to..."

"Ohhh! Yes, I saw you, Kana-chan! You were all wet and soapy! Did you try to take a shower with your clothes on?"

"Er...no..."

Mori's eyes narrowed. "What happened?" There was an unspoken "_who did that to you_?" in his tone.

Kana sighed. "Someone dumped a bucket of soapy water on me on my way here after class. I didn't see who it was, but it sounded like there was a group of them. It's...it's not really a big deal. It was just a prank."

Mori gazed at her steadily.

Hunny frowned. "Takashi and me don't like it when people do mean things like that, do we, Taka?"

Mori shook his head without breaking his gaze.

"I-I..." Kana gulped. "Well, it's...it was pretty harmless..."

Hunny shook his head. "That's true, but what if they get meaner? Will you wait until they _do _hurt you to ask for help?"

"Ask for...I wasn't going to...I mean, I don't need..." she looked at Mori, who was frowning at her.

As she trailed off, she heard someone clear their throat softly behind her. Turning, she looked to see Tamaki gazing down at her with softness in his eyes.

"I couldn't help but overhear...it seems that people have been bothering you quite a bit recently. Is that true?"

Kana swallowed. "I-I guess so...but-"

"How can we help, Kana?"

Kana opened her mouth to protest, but as she looked around at their faces, the words died in her throat. Tamaki, Mori, and Hunny stood around her, each looking concerned in their own way. To Kana's surprise, Haruhi had appeared at Tamaki's side and was looking at her with a worried expression as well. Even Kyouya, who was currently giving a presentation to the customers on different fashion periods, glanced her direction with a knowing look. The twins were still busy giving makeovers to the other customers.

Kana sighed. "I don't know how you can help. But...if you want to try, I guess..."

Hunny jumped up excitedly and, to her great embarrassment, threw his arms around her neck in a lung-compressing hug. "'Cause we're your friends, right, Kana-chan?"

"I-I...well..." she glanced shyly up at Mori, who smiled broadly at her. Blushing, she smiled back and gave Hunny a little squeeze. Mori reached down to ruffle her hair.

"I...I guess so. Thank you, everyone."

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

FAN MAIL:

From Spirit-of-the-Rain:

"#1. Kana, if you had to spend 'twenty minutes in heaven' with any of the male hosts (because we all know you'd pick Haruhi just to get out of answering) who would you pick?"

Kana: "Twenty minutes in heaven"? What's that? And...Haruhi _is_ male...r-right?

Haruhi: *opens mouth to answer*

Tamaki: *covers Haruhi's mouth with his hand* O-of course he is! Ha ha! Ha...ha.

Haruhi: -_-

Kana, "Twenty minutes in heaven" is...*whispers in Kana's ear*

Kana: *eyes grow wider than is physically possible* Ah...I...I...

...wow. I think she's actually too embarrassed to blush this time.

Kana: !

Kana? Are you okay?

Mori: *appears instantly, looking gravely concerned* Kana-chan.

Kana: *faints*

Mori: *catches her*

Hm. Well, that went well. I don't think we'll be playing "20 minutes in heaven", Spirit. I think that might kill my main character.

"#2. Mori, (since I feel like creating strange situations) what do you like most about Kana? It can be something like how she blushes when you talk to her or her personality or anything that isn't completely shallow. "

Mori: ...

Kana: Eh...eh? How much I...WH-WHAT? *blushes profusely, trying to hide it*

Mori: *smiles and ruffles her hair*

Kana: Nnnggg...must you ask such embarrassing questions, Spirit-san? /

Mori: Hmmm...

Kana: Eh? What?

Mori: I like...

Kana: O_O *gulp*

Mori: ...her way of being.

Kana: M-Mori-sempai...*ducks her head*

Nicely answered, Mori. Sweet, but vague. Let's let the rest unfold in the story, shall we?

Mori: Ah.

From: Goldenclawxxx13:

"Don't be mean Kyouya! Everyone needs a girl or boy now and then. Like Kana with Mori. They're perfect for each other!"

Kyouya: Oh, I agree. But I am perfectly capable of finding my own, thank you. Though I agree that certain _others_ require a degree of assistance. *glances at Kana*

Kana: Eh? EHH? Wh-why is everyone focusing on M-Mori-sempai and I all of a sudden? And what do you mean by that, Kyouya?

Kyouya: Nothing you need trouble yourself about, "princess".

Mori: ...*expression unreadable*

From: DestinedForGreatness

"To all of the hosts and Kana: (I've decided to go along with the dying theme that some of you readers have going on...) If every-one in the Host club was dying a horrible painful excruciating death, and you could only save one of them, who would it be and why? (I picked this question because it will be hard for some people *Cough* Mori, Hikaru, Kaoru *Cough* Who might have trouble Deciding between there twin/cousin, or Haruhi and Kana. Wait did I say that last part out loud ;)"

ALL: *sweatdrop*

Haruhi: Th-that's an awfully...um...morbid question...

Kaoru: Hikaru and I would obviously pick each other.

Hikaru: *glances at Haruhi* R-right. Obviously.

Kyouya: This scenario would never happen in real life. I refuse to participate. *goes back to taking notes*

Tamaki: Of course, I would choose to suffer in place of my poor, beloved daughter! Any father would do the same! *embraces Haruhi*

Haruhi: Erk...let go, sempai...

Hunny: WAAAHHH! Destined-chan, that's such a scary question! *runs and hides behind Mori*

Mori: *looks between Hunny and Kana with an anguished expression* I...I...*stumbles to his knees, closing his eyes with dramatic effect* I cannot choose...

Kana: *looks at Mori, concerned* I...um...I don't think...how could I choose? That...would really be terrible...

A difficult choice indeed. Great suggestion, Destined-san! I can't wait to use it in the next chapter...

ALL: *horrified*

*bright smile* Kidding!

Hunny: That's mean, Lale-chan!

What can I say? I'm an author. Authors can be pretty vicious.

From: kuraikami

I has a question for Mori...Will you please put on a shark costume and sing the "Jaws" theme song wherever you walk? :D

Mori: O_O I...I...*slumps* I knew it. I'm scary. Just like Kasanoda said. *sighs*

There, there, Mori-kun. It's not so bad. Actually, I think that would be kinda cute... 3

Mori: o_O

Kyouya: You always did have strange tastes, Laleanen-sempai.

From: Escape to Ouran

"Ok, I have a question for Mori-senpai... What would you do if Kana was kidnapped by the, female, yakuza/yankees? I can't picture you hitting a girl, but if it were for Kana... would you?"

Mori: ...I...would...not...but...nnnnn.

Ack! Mori-kun, are you broken? *pokes*

Mori: *wobbles*

Escape-chan, you broke Mori! T_T Kana-chan, quick, do something!

Kana: EH? ME? What do you want me to-

Mori: *continues to wobble dangerously*

Kana: ...ah!...*hurries over to steady him*

Mori: *blinks, looks down at Kana*

Kana: *smiles nervously, realizes she is still touching him, blushes, and swipes her hands away*

Mori: *takes Kana abruptly by the shoulders* DO NOT. GET. KIDNAPPED.

Kana: O_O eep! I-I wasn't planning to...*sweatdrop*

Incidentally, there is more to the letter. This seems like a good time to read the rest.

"I think that someone should tell her [Kana] something that frightens her, or leaves her dizzy enough to faint, but Mori comes in to catch her just in time..."

Ahahaa! I just realized that just happened earlier in this section. But yes, I should do that more, shouldn't I? Or in the actual story, perhaps? *evil grin*

Kana: Ah...ah...w-w-wait, Lale-sempai...I...um...y-you d-don't...

Kana, you're stuttering. Are you embarrassed?

Kana: *blushes profusely* St-stop that! *hides*

Mori: *puts a protective arm around Kana's shoulders and frowns at Laleanen*

*starts laughing uncontrollably* GAHAHAHAHAAHA! Ha...Mori...heh...you...you're making it worse...*wipes tears of mirth away*

Mori: *looks at Kana, concerned* I make it worse?

Kana: Er...uh...d-don't worry about it, M-Mori-sempai.../;

Escape-chan, you just gave me an idea. I'd like to ask my lovely readers if they have any ideas as to what Kana might be afraid of? There is actually a clue in one of the chapters. Cyber cookies to anyone who guesses it! ^_^ Feel free to ask her in a letter, or tell the hosts to try some experiments to test your theory. Hint: SHE IS NOT AFRAID OF THUNDER.

Kana: *brightens* I think storms are exciting!

Haruhi: *shudder* Speak for yourself.

Once again, we received so much fan mail from readers that we can't respond to everyone. I'm sorry if we didn't get to your question! There are only so many questions directed at the entire host club that I can answer in one chapter (otherwise the author's note would be longer than the chapter itself, and it would take me longer to update). Also, some of the questions had to do with what is going to happen in the plot, and I couldn't answer those without giving things away! ^_^

Still, those questions let me know what my readers are thinking and wondering about, so please continue to send them, though I may not answer them in this section. I read all of your questions and encourage you to send more, even if we didn't get to it this time. Thank you so much, everyone! T_T (tears of joy)

And look, section breaks! :D


	18. 18: The Importance of Sleep

Regarding Kana's fear: Wow, you guys are giving more in-depth answers than what I was actually thinking...in a way, you're ALL right. She does tend to avoid confrontation and doesn't like being alone (well, specifically in her parents' house).

I was thinking more like "fear of the dark"-type stuff (though that isn't it). There IS a clue in one of the chapters as to what this fear is, but it is very brief. Any guesses? If not, I have an idea for how to bring it up in the story again...

Just to warn you, I feel like I outdid myself with the Disneyesque mush in this chapter. For those of you who are nauseated by such things, you have been warned. For the rest of you with a sweet tooth, by all means, read on!

* * *

Kana spent the rest of the afternoon being entertained by Hunny and Mori, and found herself sharing them with two other guests. The guests didn't seem to mind her presence; in fact, they excitedly asked her who her "type" was, and exchanged all-too-knowing glances when she blushed and stuttered her way through a non-answer.

One of the girls giggled. "We know just how you feel, Kana-chan! There's a boy in my class..." she sighed, trailing off and looking dreamy. "But I come here because I just love being treated like a princess!" She beamed up at Mori, who gave her a small smile and slight bow.

"Kyaa! See what I mean?" She squealed, clutching at Kana's shoulders.

Kana gulped. _She knows how I feel? I don't act like _that_, do I?_

After a few hours, however, the customers began to reluctantly trickle away, called to homework or family obligations. Kana lingered, not looking forward to spending another night worrying about her parents. Still, she remembered that she did have homework waiting for her, and if she were to make any progress in history...she began looking around the room for her school bag. The twins must have taken it when they exchanged her clothes.

She cleared her throat. "Hikaru-kun, Kaoru-kun, have you seen my-"

"Kana-sempai!" Kaoru interrupted, ignoring her. He had something in his hands. "Your cell phone's ringing!" Without warning, he threw it in her direction, and she caught it awkwardly.

"Wait!...Ah...th-thanks...hello?" She answered, disoriented.

Mori watched as her face suddenly turned serious.

"Oh, Max, I'm sorry. Is she okay?"

A look of relief.

"Good. But I imagine you'll want to stay home with her the rest of the day, right?

She shook her head.

"Don't worry about me. Your family is more important. I will be fine," she said firmly. "It's not far. I'll just walk home today. It's nice out anyway."

She smiled.

"No, thank _you_. You've been a great help to me with Mom and Dad gone. Take care, okay? Tell your daughter get well soon from me." Sighing, she hung up, then realized that Mori was staring at her with a questioning look.

"Oh! That was our driver. His daughter does gymnastics, but she fell today and has a concussion. I guess it's not too bad, but I gave him the day off. He'll want to keep an eye on her for awhile."

She went to retrieve her school bag from the corner where Hikaru and Kaoru had apparently stashed it, putting her cell phone away.

"You're planning to walk home?" Mori asked.

Kana nodded, pausing before slinging the bag over her shoulder.

He frowned. "By yourself?"

She nodded again, hesitantly. "It's a nice-"

"I will go with you." He said firmly.

"Wh-what?"

Without another word, Mori stood and walked into the other room, where the host club kept their bags and other belongings they brought with them to school.

Helplessly, Kana tried to call after him, "Y-you don't have...to..."

Hunny bounded up to her with a grin and a wink. "Sorry, Kana-chan! Once Takashi makes up his mind, he's very stubborn!"

Kana jumped as the twins came up behind her, leaning an arm on each of her shoulders. "Walking you home, eh?" Kaoru purred.

"It's almost like a..." Hikaru lowered his voice, "_date_, ne?"

Kana blushed to the tips of her ears. "A-a-a-a _what_? N-no! It's-"

In the middle of her protest, Mori emerged once again from the adjacent room, messenger bag slung over his shoulder, tie undone, and shirt unbuttoned at the top. Apparently ready to go. And apparently wondering what the twins had said to her that she was protesting so frantically. He quirked an eyebrow at her. Kana gulped.

"Well, have a nice walk!" The twins sang, skipping merrily away. They turned briefly to give Kana a synchronized wink.

Kana gulped, then turned to leave, feeling Mori's presence radiating behind as he followed her. It seemed that he generated more heat than was strictly necessary.

* * *

The silence became overwhelming after ten minutes. Kana kept opening her mouth once she thought she had formulated something interesting to say, then decided it wasn't so interesting after all and closed it again. Mori walked a little way behind her, so she couldn't even see his expression. Not that he had many expressions, except the occasional raise of his eyebrows. Or slight twitch of his lips. Or those rare times, when he actually looked at her and gave her a full-on smile that reached his eyes, making her feel like she was falling and flying at the same-

"Eep!" She missed a step, getting caught up in her thoughts like that, and almost went tumbling to her knees on the sidewalk. She felt a strong arm encircle her waist, and she stopped descending abruptly.

"Careful."

She gulped, nodding shakily. His sudden closeness startled her more than the near fall.

He noticed her discomfiture, and loosened his grip slightly, but did not let go. "Are you okay?"

"Uhh...y-yes. I'm fine." She tried to make her voice sound normal. He really did smell nice. It was distracting.

Slowly, he helped her stand again and they continued walking. It seemed like he was keeping even closer to her than before. The silence became even more awkward.

_I've got to say something! _She took a breath, but Mori surprised her by speaking first.

"That outfit..."

"Huh?" Startled, Kana looked down at herself, then blushed all over again. She had been so distracted she had almost forgotten the slightly-too-short skirt and off-the-shoulder blouse the twins had coerced her into wearing. She wouldn't have considered it immodest on someone else, but on her, in front of Mori..._I feel so naked..._

"Mm. Wh-what about it?" She asked, looking at the ground and tugging at her hemline.

Mori cleared his throat. "It...suits you."

Kana's eyes went wide and she had to concentrate on not tripping again. _Say "thank you" you airhead!_ She moved her mouth a few times, but had to keep swallowing to make her vocal chords work. Finally, in a tiny voice, she managed, "...th-thank you..."

She heard a low chuckle and suddenly Mori's large hand was gently tousling her hair. She smiled in spite of herself. "M-Mori sempai..."

Suddenly, a purple something was careening directly toward Kana's face. Instinctively, she put her hands out, but Mori got there first (_how does somebody so big move so fast?_ she wondered) and caught the ball before it reached her. Stunned, she looked around, seeing that they were walking by the park that she had seen once on her way to school.

"Sorry, ma'am! Are you okay?" a small voice came from the play area, where a few children were running in their direction, looking sheepish.

"Fine! Is this...uh...your ball?"

Mori calmly stepped toward the children and held the ball where they could see it as Kana spoke.

"Yep! That's it..." a young boy trotted up to them and held out his hands to Mori. "Thanks for catching it. I'm glad it didn't hit your girlfriend, Mister."

"Eh? That's-!" Kana started to protest, studiously avoiding eye contact with Mori, who for some unimaginable reason had looked over at her at that moment. Then she glanced over to the playground and noticed some of the children were gathered around one of their playmates, who appeared to be sitting on the ground and crying. She craned her neck to see. "Did something happen?" she asked the boy.

The boy looked back at his friends and frowned worriedly. "I think Shinji hurt his ankle..."

Kana frowned. "Would you take me to him? I'd like to see if he's okay."

The boy nodded and began leading the way. Kana glanced at Mori, who nodded and followed with her.

Shinji had stopped crying by the time Kana made her way through the circle of worried children, but he kept wincing, and she could tell by the swelling that there was a sprain.

"My name is Kasuga Kana," she said, kneeling beside him. "I have a few things in my bag that might help, okay?"

He nodded, then winced and ducked his head again, trying not to cry. One of the older girls, who was sitting next to him, was not so successful.

"I'm sorry, Shinji, I'm sorry," she said, her cheeks wet.

Kana dug her first aid kit out of her bag and found an ice pack, which she scrunched up in her hands to start the chemical reaction that would make it cold. She gently pressed it to his ankle, then began wrapping it to hold the ice pack in place.

"Do you live nearby?" she asked.

He and the crying girl nodded and pointed to a house just down the street.

"Once you get home, you'll need to keep it elevated, okay?"

Mori put a hand on Kana's shoulder and gave her a questioning look, glancing at the house Shinji had indicated. After a moment, she understood his meaning.

"It's okay to move him. I don't think it's broken, just sprained." She finished wrapping Shinji's ankle, then nodded at Mori, who carefully bent down and scooped the child into his arms.

"We'll come, too!" the other children crowded around Mori with worried expressions. Kana stood up, putting her hand on the crying girl's shoulder.

"Are you Shinji's sister?" The girl nodded, wiping away the last of her tears. Kana smiled. "I can tell you love your brother very much. Don't worry; he's going to be fine." She bent down, speaking softly so only the girl could hear. "And it wasn't your fault he got hurt."

The girl's eyes widened, and for a moment she looked about to cry again, but she gulped and nodded instead, giving Kana a weak but grateful smile.

"All right, let's make sure Shinji gets home safely, everybody!" Kana straightened, getting the children's attention. She and Mori led the way with nearly ten children in tow, Shinji resting in Mori's arms and his sister following anxiously.

Shinji's mother was home and received her children gratefully, with many bows and offerings of thanks. Kana and Mori and all the other children said their goodbyes and well-wishes to Shinji and his sister, many of the children promising to check in on them later. Soon, however, Shinji went inside to put his feet up per Kana's instructions, and the odd group made their way back to the park in a much more somber mood.

"Will you continue your game?" Kana asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

A few of the children shook their heads. "We need two more people to play..."

Suddenly, one of the younger children turned around, face brightening, and looked up at Kana and Mori. "You could play with us!" she said hopefully. The little procession stopped as the other children considered this idea, and each brightened in turn.

"Please come play with us!"

"We need two more players!" "

They made a tight circle around Kana and Mori, looking up at them with eager faces. Kana glanced at Mori, unsure of what to do. He shrugged slightly.

"I...I don't know how to play..." Kana said uncertainly.

"We'll teach you!"

"It's easy!"

"You can be on _my_ team!"

"Please say yes!"

"I...sure. All right." Kana smiled at them, but the words were hardly out of her mouth before the children began laughing excitedly and dragged her and Mori back to the playground across the street.

* * *

The game they played seemed to change rules about every five minutes. Kana and Mori played on opposite teams, because the children thought this would be fair, but playing against Mori wasn't really fair in any context. Still, at times his strength seemed to work against him and he had to retrieve their ball out of trees, from the top of the jungle gym, and from the roof of the maintenance building. The children thought this was terrifically entertaining, and marveled at how Mori's height allowed him to sheepishly retrieve the ball from wherever it was lodged.

Kana found herself laughing along with the children. She didn't fully understand the game, but it didn't seem to matter. Half the time they were making up their own rules. Mori kept smiling at her and even cracked a grin a few times, which nearly stopped her heart. Also, the children continued to maintain their assumption that the two of them were going out, which Kana tried to correct, but she kept getting interrupted. Eventually, she gave it up. She needed all her concentration to stay in the ball game: kicking, blocking, and generally being physically active reminded her painfully of the skirt and off-the-shoulder blouse she wore. She managed to participate and stay reasonably covered at the same time, but it took effort. No one else seemed to notice.

Eventually, the children were called home to their mothers with many fond farewells and unexpected hugs. Exhausted, Kana plopped down onto a swing and watched the last of them go. "That was fun," she said, smiling up at Mori. He walked over to stand beside her at the swings. She continued, "I've been wanting to come here. I see this park every day on the way to school." She kicked at the ground, but her legs caught only air. There was at least another inch between her feet and the dirt below. She ducked her head, smiling sheepishly. "I'd swing, but...I guess I'm a little short."

Without a word, Mori moved behind her and she felt his warm hands on her shoulders. He gave her a gentle push, just enough for her to feel the breeze as she glided forward, then back to his warm hands again. Forward, then back. For several moments, Kana sat in fuzzy-headed disbelief. _He's actually pushing me on the swings._ Giddiness welled up in her and she took a deep breath of the fresh evening air.

"Thank you," she said over her shoulder.

"Mm."

They stayed like that in silence for several moments, until Mori spoke.

"What happened today?"

Kana blinked, startled by his sudden seriousness. "What?"

"Today. When you came to the club."

Memory of being doused with a bucket of soapy water and mocking laughter rushed back, and of arriving at the host club soaking wet and trying to hide from Mori's penetrating look.

"...oh. Um...you don't need to worry about it!" She tried to laugh off his question.

Abruptly, the swing jolted to a stop as Mori held the chains still, leaning over her. Kana gulped. She was practically in his arms.

"You said you'd let us help," he chided softly.

Kana bit her lip. _I did promise. Sort of. _"There isn't anything you can do about what happened today..." she protested weakly.

Mori said nothing, did not move, and did not release her.

Kana sighed. "They must have been planning it. I didn't even see who it was. Just a bunch of students with a bucket of soapy water. They ambushed me when I came out of the restroom. I guess...they thought it was pretty funny." Kana smiled, but it did not quite reach her eyes. "I can see why they'd laugh. I'm pretty clumsy. I think the first thing I did when I came to Ouran was trip over the stairs." She laughed, trying to lighten the heavy mood that had settled between them. It sounded a little too sharp to her ears. "Not very ladylike, huh? I suppose the fact that I was accepted to Ouran makes some people...upset. I'm not even fully Japanese." Her throat felt a little dry, telling him all that. For some reason, she felt very foolish, and lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

Mori said nothing for a long time. Kana began to wonder if he was going to speak again, and tried to think of something else to say to fill the void and cover up her embarrassing vulnerability. Finally, he said, "People used to laugh at me, too."

Kana's breath caught. "At..._you_? What on earth for?" She turned to look at him in disbelief, forgetting how close their faces were and coloring when their eyes met.

Mori held her gaze for a long moment before looking away. "I say strange things, sometimes."

"Strange...? What do you mean? I mean...you hardly say anything, and..." She trailed off as Mori shook his head.

"I said more when I was younger. But...I was laughed at. The way I spoke was very old-fashioned, and I talked about things like Bushido, and communication with animals. The other kids thought I was...strange."

Kana straightened a little, indignant. "Those things aren't strange! I like...those things...about you..." She spoke to quickly and had already started her sentence before she realized how forward she was being, and trailed off in embarrassment, blushing.

Mori turned back to look at her, and one corner of his mouth turned up slowly in an amused and pleased half-smile. He ruffled her hair and stood up, glancing at the horizon, which was already turning gold with the setting sun. Without a word, he placed his hands under her arms and hoisted her out of the swing, setting her gently on the ground.

"It's time we left."

"Oh!" Startled by being so suddenly picked up, Kana glanced around and noticed the position of the sun as well. "It's already this late?"

Mori nodded and turned to go, looking at her expectantly.

"Right! Of-of course..." Stammering and still feeling embarrassed by her comment, Kana started walking quickly toward the sidewalk, leading the way back to her estate.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to come in? You look tired. You could have some tea..." Kana tried to convince herself she wasn't just trying to think of an excuse for him to stay longer.

Mori nodded, glancing toward the driveway where a car was supposed to be arriving to pick him up at any moment.

"Okay, well...uh...thank you for...for walking me home..." Kana looked down at her shoes. "It was...fun. At the park. With those kids. And, um..." She blushed, trying to force the words out. "...thank you. For everything else."

Mori looked down at her, expressionless but intent, as she said this. Car headlights shone behind him and he blinked.

"That must be your ride." Kana fiddled with the hem of her blouse. "Well...um...I guess I'll see you-"

Abruptly, Mori reached for her arm and with the other hand cupped her chin and tilted it up, gently but firmly so she suddenly had no choice but to look him in the eye. She gulped.

"I don't mind that you're clumsy sometimes." He gave her a warm, broad smile. "It's cute." He gave her chin one soft stroke with his thumb. "Thank you...Kana." With that, he turned to go, leaving her slack-jawed and stunned to silence on the porch.

With his back turned, she did not she him stifle a huge yawn. His thoughts seemed a little fuzzy.

_I'm sorry, Kana-chan, but I need to go home and sleep...Sleep is very important._

_For me, especially._

* * *

END OF CHAPTER.

_ That was shameless, but I love sleepy Mori. He wasn't even as sleepy as he could have been...*Renge laugh* Hohohohoho! Yes, well...poor Kana. Mori's being very confusing. We'll just have to see what happens in later chapters, won't we?

Once again, I'd like to reiterate my promise not to abandon this story. I know I take a long time to update, and I want to thank you all who have been so patient with me. It means a lot that you like this story enough to keep reading even though I am such a slow updater. Now, on to the fan mail!

**From parris411:**

**Ok so I've finally come up with a question. This is for all the host club and kana; if you had to become a supernatural creature what would you be?**

Tamaki: I would be a great and noble Gryphon!

Kyoua: I've always felt an affinity for dragons.

And their treasure-hordes, no doubt…

Kyouya: …

Haruhi: I think I would be a raven.

Tamaki: Haruhi! That's not supernatural!

Haruhi: But ravens are used in literature as guides, and they're highly intelligent, almost to the point of being supernatural…and in some stories they can speak to travelers, too. I'd like to be intelligent and useful like that.

Kana: Supernatural? Well...I think I would like to be an Ohm, from Nausicaa Valley of the Wind. That's my favorite movie, and I always thought the ohms were very...majestic, despite their appearance. And they have healing abilities! *nods enthusiastically*

Mori: *Smiles and ruffles her hair*

_I_ think Mori should be a centaur.

Kaoru: *scoffs* You just want to see him without a shirt on!

Kana: *blushes furiously*

Well...I suppose I can't deny that, but he also has an affinity for horses, so...

Mori: *looks embarrassed, but nods slightly at the mention of horses*

Hunny: I'd be the Jade Rabbit from folklore! Your readers should look it up! It's a really neat story! *smile smile*

Kaoru: We would be fauns.

Hikaru: *evil grin* And lure you all into a trap with our dancing.

Kaoru: And pipe-playing. *seductive grin at the fans*

Hey now! Behave! This story is only rated K+! *motherly glare*

Hikaru and Kaoru: Sorry, La-la-san!

O_o "La-la-san"? What the heck?

Hikaru: *shrug* "Laleanen" is too hard to say.

Kaoru: And Hunny already calls you "Lale-chan".

-_- Moving on.

**From Shnitzel:**

**To Kana and the Host Club, how would you react if you saw your significant other *wink wink* *nudge nudge* being hit on by someone else? Host Club, not physically being hit, okay? As in hit on like someone's flirting with them. -_-'**

Kyouya: -_-' Did you think we would not understand what you meant? Well, maybe Tamaki...*looks askance at Tama*

Tamaki: I would do everything I could to protect my daughter!

Haruhi: -_- Sempai...

Hunny: *laughs* I wouldn't worry about it! She'd probably just curse them!

Mori: *slight frown*

Kaoru: *strikes a dramatic pose* Hikaru! Flirting with someone else? How could you?

Hikaru: *clasps Kaoru's hands* Never, Kaoru! You're the only one I'd ever flirt with...

Kaoru: H-Hikaru!

Okay, guys, seriously. Knock it off.

Hikaru and Kaoru: *stick their tongues out at Laleanen*

What about you, Kana?

Kana: Eh-eh? I don't have a...a...*glances at Mori* I don't have a significant other!

But if you _did_, how would you react?

Kana: I'd...that...*hangs head* I don't know what I could do. I'd...*suddenly brightens, smiling mischievously* [under her breath] _I'd sick Flick on her. Let's see her try to flirt with a foxsquirrel in her hair. _

Flick: *approving* Chee!

Mori: ...*hides a small half-smile*

**From: Spirit-of-the-Rain:**

**Kana, if you could go anyplace in the world, where would you go and why? Also, what is your favourite dream that you have had this past week, preferably one that occurred on the weekend, if y'know what I' sayin'~ *grins mischievously* ... Darn, I hope you can forgive me for the questions Kana, I don't really mean any harm... I'm sorry... ;n; Will you forgive me?**

Kana: If I could go anywhere, I'd like to do a field study of pandas at the Wolong National Natural Reserve in China. ^_^ As for your other questions…*reads the rest of the review* My…favorite dream? *glances at Mori, who does not appear to be listening* Um…probably when I dreamed I was Sleeping Beauty. *gulps* Especially since it wasn't really a dream…*blush* Why do all of you keep trying to embarrass me? / *sigh* I forgive you, Spirit-san…but it's still embarrassing…

**From kuraikami:**

**Mori. Do you wear duck print boxers? If not, I think Kana should buy him a pair. :D**

Mori: *raises eyebrows* ...no.

Kana: O_O EH? *mouth moves, but no intelligible words*

**From Aurora-16:**

**i have a question for teh hitachiin twins! what other outfits were they thinking of dressing poor kana in and what underthings did they provide for her? and yes im aware i am being evil lol i just enjoy it :)**

Kaoru: Kana-sempai's colors are purple, red,

Hikaru: blue, and green. She can wear any of those colors.

Kaoru: Unfortunately, the yellow school uniform looks dreadful on her.

Hikaru: *makes a face*

Kana: -_- Thanks.

Kaoru: Kana-sempai is short, so she looks good in short skirts, which make her legs look longer.

Kana: *blushes* H-hey!

Hikaru: Or very long skirts, but that wouldn't have been any fun. *evil grin*

Kaoru: Off- the shoulder necklines make her neck look longer, too, and show off her shoulders.

Hikaru: So, basically,

Kaoru: We didn't think of any other outfits.

Hikaru: We picked the best one.

Kaoru: As for underthings-

Kana: Enough! *blushes furiously* Laleanen-san, please make them stop.

All right, this chapter has gone on long enough. Thank you for all your reviews! As always, please feel free to submit your questions/letters to the cast, and we will answer as many as we are able. Please continue to give me feedback! It is very helpful and motivating.

Ja ne!


	19. 19: Morinozuka Estate

"For the last time, Kasuga-dono, we have no safe way to get another message to your daughter. Not at this time. Unless you want us to pick her up, which could be a risky move anyway. Nearly impossible to pull off without feigning a kidnapping, and the media would be all over it."

"No, no, no. I don't want that. She just started at a new school, and she should be able to go on with her life as normally as possible, until this whole thing blows over." Kyon sighed and rubbed his temples, leaning back in the plush first-class seat of the Prime Minister's private jet, on his way to yet another "undisclosed location." "Has her security team arrived yet?"

"We received the confirmation code yesterday. They should be in place."

"And she'll never know they're there? They'll keep out of the way unless they're needed?"

"That's their job, sir."

"Darling," Kasuga Anna spoke up from her vantage point by the window, "Try not to worry so much. These boys have never failed us." She gave the attending officer a winning smile. "I expect they'll do just fine by Kana."

"I promised her we wouldn't be gone so long this time..." Kyon sighed, taking a sip of hot sake, compliments of the Prime Minister.

"I'm sure she's all right. There are lots of handsome boys to distract her at Ouran," Anna said with an amused smile.

Kyon laughed. "It'll be good for her to have something else to worry her besides us. Hopefully she's already found someone to daydream about."

"And she'll analyze every little thing he says," Anna added.

"And obsess over all his little mannerisms,"

"And doodle his name in her biology notes,"

They continued on, thinking up all the adorable things they imagined their daughter might be doing, trying hard to make each other laugh, and laughing so hard that for a moment all their stress and the weight of global politics melted away. For this moment, they were simply the parents of a teenage girl, who would be mortified beyond description if she could hear what they were saying about her.

* * *

"Achoo!" Kana sneezed, startling herself.

"Gesundheit!" Hunny exclaimed, patting her on the shoulder. "Are you okay, Kana-chan?"

"I-I'm fine..." she waved him away, embarrassed at the attention.

Mori frowned at her worriedly, and reached a hand over to feel her forehead.

"...ah..." Kana blushed, trying to duck out from under his touch.

"You're warm."

"I'm just...i-it's a little hot in here. I think."

Mori lowered his hand, nodding and rising to his feet. "I'll get you a glass of water."

Exhaling, Kana looked around the table, hoping not to see the knowing looks on the other customers' faces. Even Hunny looked...smug.

"We heard Mori-sempai is tutoring you, Kana-chan...is that true?" One of the girls asked casually.

"Er...well, yes." _Word sure gets around. _"With history."

To her surprise, rather than turning up their noses or making snide comments, they all sighed dreamily.

"That's so romantic!"

"Have you been to his house?"

"Long hours sitting on a couch together...alone...getting sleepy and dozing off on each others' shoulder..."

Kana felt herself flushing again as their fantasies became further and further removed from reality. When they started talking about getting stranded together in an abandoned cabin during a rainstorm, she cleared her throat hurriedly.

"Hunny-whatkindofcakeisthat-itlooksreallygood?"

Hunny blinked for a moment, trying to process her question through the jumble of words, then put on his most charming smile. "Chocolate tuxedo cake! It's delicious! Would you like a slice, Kana-chan?"

Kana smiled in relief. "Yes, please. I can get-"

At that moment, Mori returned with her water, leaning uncomfortably close as he set it in front of her. Then without a word, he began dishing her slice of cake.

"...it." Kana closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to refrain from blushing. Again. "Thank you, Mori-sempai..." she managed quietly.

After the events of last night, things had been extremely awkward for Kana at the host club. _He called me "cute"..._ The memory of him leaning toward her, a rare, broad smile on his face, and saying that kept coming to her mind, unbidden, whenever he stepped within a five-foot radius. Mori, on the other hand, gave no indication that anything out of the ordinary had happened, and returned to his usual, stoic self. _Of course, he was just being nice, after everything we talked about._ Of course.

"...coming, Kana-chan?" Hunny asked, looking at her expectantly.

"What?" Kana blinked, realizing she had missed the last several moments of conversation, and now everyone was staring at her. Including Mori. She gulped. "I-I'm sorry, I spaced out for a minute."

Hunny's lips twitched in what might have been an amused smile, but then his eyes widened slightly in innocence, making Kana feel guilty for even thinking he might have been laughing at her.

"The host club is having a special trip this weekend! All our guests are invited. Are you coming, Kana-chan?"

"Special trip? Like an overnight trip?"

Hunny nodded enthusiastically, as did several of the guests.

"Oh! I didn't know you did that sort of thing. Where to?"

Abruptly, Tamaki sashayed over to their table. "A commoner-style adventure in the pastoral countryside! A red-blooded test of survival and wits! In short...a camping trip!"

Kana grinned. "Camping? I haven't been camping since I was little! Where?"

"Toya Lake in Hokkaido. A perfect, secluded location of unmatched beauty. A romantic getaway, full of adventure and-"

"We've reserved the lake for our exclusive use for the entire weekend. A small cruise ship has also been hired to take us on a tour of the area by water," Kyouya cut in, without even looking up from his clipboard.

_Cruise ship?_ "It sounds fun..." Kana said, trying not to glance at Mori. _And I wouldn't have to be in the house alone, if my parents aren't back yet._ She sighed, trying not to think, _They probably won't be._ "Yes, I'll come."

"Hooray!" Hunny shouted, throwing his arms around Kana's neck unexpectedly. "We'll have tons and tons of fun, Kana-chan! Won't we, Takashi?"

Laughing at Hunny's enthusiasm (it was almost impossible not to when he seemed so happy), Kana noticed Mori looking at them both, smiling. She smiled back.

* * *

Mori noticed Kana had been avoiding looking at him all day, and whenever he did manage to catch her eye, her face filled with color. More, even, than usual. The problem was he couldn't remember if he had said or done anything last night to make her feel uncomfortable around him. Well...again, more so than usual. Everything from the time he started walking her home from the park seemed kind of fuzzy in his mind. He remembered being tired; that worried him. His family, Mitsukuni, and the rest of the host club had always told him he acted strangely when he was tired, though he could never remember any of it.

All day, he had been trying to think of what he could possibly have said or done to make her act so nervous. Had he been rude? Insulted her in some way? Hurt her feelings? He could only guess at what might have happened, and his mind kept leaping to the worst possible conclusions. Kana-chan would of course be too nice to mention anything, and he couldn't bring himself to ask her. So he remained content with waiting on her at the host club today, trying to anticipate her needs and fulfill them before she realized them herself. Perhaps this way, she would forgive him for whatever it was he had said.

It occurred to him that they had not studied at all the other night, having spent the entire evening at the park. He chided himself for being so lax in his duties as her tutor. In fact, he would feel personally responsible if she received less than an "A" on any quizzes from now on. Despite Kyouya's manipulation, Mori took his newfound position very seriously, and was determined to see Kana not only salvage her grade, but rise to the top of the class before he was finished with her. She was certainly intelligent enough, whatever she might believe about herself. And determined enough. And hard-working. And pretty. _Wait._

"M-Mori-sempai?"

His thoughts were interrupted by Kana's hesitant voice.

"Hm?"

"...how is your rabbit? I was just wondering. I-I mean, I haven't seen it around, and..." She clamped her mouth shut, trying to keep from rambling.

Mori smiled. "He's much better. I took him home with me." He hesitated, trying to gauge her feelings. "Would...you like to see for yourself?"

"What?" Kana asked quickly, her eyes widening. "You mean, go to your house?"

Mori nodded, keeping his face carefully expressionless.

"Uh...I...when?"

Mori shrugged. "Today, if you want. We could study, too." He kept his tone casual, trying not to scare her off, and took a sip of his tea.

Kana blinked at him. "That...would be fine."

"Uwaaaahh, Kana-chan!" Hunny exclaimed. "You'll get to see Takashi's house! It's so nice there! Takashi, you'll have to give her a proper tour, like a gentleman," he said, turning to Mori with mock severity. Mori quirked an eyebrow at him.

Kana glanced back and forth between the two cousins, who seemed to be having a silent conversation in a language she did not understand. Several other customers swooned, inventing romantic undertones to match their individual fantasies about the two. Hunny eventually turned to her with a bright smile, and asked her if she would like more cake, as if nothing had happened.

And so the afternoon went.

* * *

The last of the customers waved farewell as the hosts and Kana began packing up their things and prepared to head home for the day.

"So...Kana-hime." Kaoru began, sidling up to her.

"Going to Mori-sempai's _house_ today, are we?" Hikaru continued, appearing at her other side.

"_Tsk_. Will his parents be home?" Kaoru asked, giving her a disapproving look.

Kana tried to glare at them instead of blushing, which resulted in a strange crossover between the two expressions on her face. It didn't seem to impact the twins in the slightest.

"Two young people, _alone_, in a big house like that, could get into trouble, y'know..."

"Doing a little of _this, _and a little of _that_..."

Their remarks were abruptly cut short by the sound of someone with a deep voice clearing their throat. It came out as more of a growl. Hikaru and Kaoru craned their necks to look up at Mori towering over them with a dark expression.

"Mori-sempai!" Kaoru greeted him cheerfully.

"We were just leaving..." Hikaru said, delicately side-stepping the tall senior. "Kana-chan, we left some clothes for you to change into, because we know you'll be wearing your uniform to his house otherwise..."

Kaoru shook his head, also stepping away from Mori and toward the exit. "We just couldn't stand that. Trust us; it'll look fabulous." He winked.

Kana sweat-dropped.

"Bye-bye, Kana-hime!" They called, saluting her and skipping out the door.

Mori sighed, his shoulders slumping a little.

"Th-those two..." Kana said, managing a nervous laugh.

Mori glanced at her, still frowning slightly. He seemed to wrestle with whether to say something. "Kana-chan..." he started, looking at her seriously, "You know I'd never..."

Kana blushed and waved her hands at him, frantically trying to cut him off. "O-of course not! Don't worry about it, Mori-sempai. They were just being...themselves."

Mori nodded slightly, still frowning.

_Gosh, it really bothered him..._ Kana thought, searching for some way to put him at ease. "Why don't we go and wait for your driver? It's sunny outside, anyway." She smiled reassuringly.

Mori nodded again, his brow smoothing, a near-smile touching his lips. "Ah."

* * *

The drive was not a long one, but the silence made it seem longer. To be fair, it was a less-awkward silence than some of the previous silences that had stretched between the two of them. Kana was every bit as aware of his proximity and slightest movement, and Mori was just as mindful of the studious way with which she avoided looking at him. But it was less sharply uncomfortable. They had done this before. It had a familiar feel. Kana even allowed herself to make eye contact once, and smiled before looking away. She almost did it without blushing.

Almost.

The twins had outfitted her more casually than last time: a pair of snug blue jeans and a flowing jade green tank top with knotted straps. It had some kind of Celtic design on the front. Kana tried not to pull at the straps too much; once again, the twins' taste bordered just outside of immodest in her opinion. Not enough to make her want to wear her school uniform instead, but just enough to make her feel...exposed. Thankfully, it was a warm day.

As they turned into the drive, Kana straightened slightly, eyeing the pastures as they rolled by.

"You didn't tell me you had horses, too..." she breathed, marveling at the animals grazing. She picked out the features that marked each one as a prime breeding and showmanship horse: the arch of the neck, glossy coat, smooth, natural gait.

"Mn."

Kana turned to look at him, but he was facing the window away from her. _I didn't realize we had this in common, _she thought, a warm feeling spreading through her chest. _Maybe we can go riding again._

The car slowed to a stop at the front of the house. The largest of many, it seemed. Looking around the estate as the driver helped her out of the limo, she saw several smaller, old-fashioned Japanese buildings scattered amidst gardens and walkways. The main house was slightly more modern by contrast, but still retained a distinct old-world feel, like she had stepped into a history book. It suited Mori perfectly.

"Mori-sempai, this is beautiful!" she said, turning to him as he stepped up beside her.

He smiled warmly down at her. "Thank you."

As they entered the house, the peaceful tranquility was broken by the sound of running feet thumping toward them, and an exclamation of, "Onii-san! You're home!" To Kana's astonishment, a younger boy burst from the hallway to their left and threw his arms around Mori, apparently in greeting. Given the way Mori smiled slightly and patted the newcomer's head, she guessed this was a normal occurrence. But could someone so..._rambunctious_...possibly be related to Mori?

"Uwah! Onii-san! Is this your girlfriend?"

Kana sweat-dropped.

Mori's eyes widened for a moment, and he glanced at Kana, then shook his head quickly.

The boy looked between the two of them, seeming confused.

"Oh! Sorry, onii-san..." He brightened. "You should introduce her!" He smiled at Kana.

Mori cleared his throat. "Uh...Kana-chan, this is my younger brother, Satoshi Morinozuka. Satoshi, this is Kasuga Kana, my..." he paused, for some reason uncertain how he should introduce her. "...classmate."

Kana inclined her head in greeting. "Pleased to meet you, Morinozuka-san."

Satoshi laughed. "Please, call me Satoshi-kun, Kana-chan. Any friend of Takashi's is a friend of mine!"

Kana blushed a bit at being called a "friend of Takashi", but nodded.

"She's here to see the animals," Mori explained.

Satoshi grinned. "Ohh, are you the one who looked after Bunny-san?

"Ah...yes..."

"Onii-san talked about you! It's great to finally meet you!" He grinned, bowing enthusiastically.

"Eh?" Kana blushed, staring at the top of Satoshi's head. _Mori _talked_ about me?_

"Oh!" Satoshi, stood up abruptly, looking from her to Mori. "You guys want to be alone, right? Sorry! I'll go!" He scurried off, waving. "Have fun!"

Kana's mouth moved silently. _That person is related to Mori?_ She glanced up at the tall senior, and was surprised to see him looking faintly...embarrassed. Satoshi's parting comment echoed in her mind.

_...oh..._

She hurriedly looked away, clearing her throat in the awkward silence.

"The animals are...out back," Mori murmured, walking down the hallway to the left. "This way."

* * *

When they reached the gardens just behind the house, four animals rushed at them in a herd. More accurately, they rushed at _Mori_ in a herd, as he hurriedly knelt down in an effort to embrace (endure?) them all at once. She recognized each of them as animals she had seen at the host club on various occasions: a half-grown chicken, a tanuki, a kitten, and a small rabbit. The chicken flew up and perched on Mori's head, the rabbit hopped into his arms, the tanuki crawled up onto his shoulders, and the kitten latched itself onto his leg.

Kana laughed. "It looks like Bunny-san's foot has healed just fine!"

Mori smiled at her from under his menagerie. He murmured something to the rabbit and set it gently on the ground, facing Kana. At an encouraging look from Mori, she knelt down and held her hand out to it.

"Tell her thank you," Mori said to the rabbit, when it looked at him and twitched its nose. It made its way cautiously toward Kana and sniffed her hand, gradually allowing her to stroke its ears.

Kana grinned. "He's so cute!"

Mori smiled, absently stroking the kitten's, chin. "Would you like to name him? I tried to let him go, but...he seems to want to stay with us. He needs a good name."

"Me?" Kana looked at him disbelievingly.

Mori nodded. "You helped save his life."

_Not that it was a life-threatening injury..._Kana thought, sweat-dropping. She suppressed a smile at Mori's serious face. "All right. I'll have to think about it for a day or two." The rabbit was allowing her to scratch its back, now. "Good names take time."

Mori nodded approvingly. He picked up the kitten and held him out to her. "You remember Kuro."

"...ah..." Kana blushed a little, remembering how the incident with Kuro had caused her to spill hot tea all over Hunny, sending him to the nurse. "Y-yes..."

"He's better trained now," Mori said with a significant look at the kitten, and a wry smile. The kitten purred. Kana took him, and he crawled up to her shoulder, tickling her ears lightly with his whiskers and making her jump a little before seeming to settle down comfortably. Kana let out a little relieved breath.

"You've met Pome, too..." Mori said, picking up the tanuki with both hands and holding it up to face him. "He wasn't behaving very well at the time." He cocked an eyebrow significantly at Pome, who blinked innocently before Mori finally set him down. "But I don't know if you've met Piyo...?" He glanced up significantly at the chicken on his head.

Kana almost opened her mouth to say that she had seen the chicken before, but that would involve admitting that she had been watching Mori through the host club window. She blushed and quickly shook her head. "I don't believe so."

Piyo flapped his wings a few times, descending from the top of Mori's head and crashing unceremoniously into her chest, knocking her over with a squeak of surprise and startling the rabbit. An enthusiastic greeting.

Mori covered his mouth with one hand and coughed, but it came out more like a gruff hiccup, as if he was trying hard not to laugh, and failing miserably. He knelt down to help her to a sitting position, his lips pressed together slightly with the effort of not smiling. His eyes twinkled.

"I think they like you."

* * *

After about an hour of playing with the animals outside, Mori suggested they return to the main house to begin their study session. He lead Kana to a large room that was lined with books and wall-hangings, and encouraged her to make herself comfortable on the large, overstuffed couch while he went to retrieve some things from his room. Blushing at his unexpected hospitality, Kana agreed, and allowed herself to sit timidly on the plush furniture as he left the room.

Looking around, she was struck by the scholarly atmosphere. Even the wall-hangings depicted historic events and mythology. No wonder Mori was so knowledgeable about history; it seemed to run in his family.

There was a knock at the door, and Satoshi poked his head around the corner. "Kana-chan! I brought you guys some tea! Where's onii-san?"

"He went to go get something...I think." Kana sat up straighter, trying to smile while feeling ridiculously awkward.

Satoshi grinned, shutting the door behind him and walking closer to set the tea tray on the table in front of her. He sat down on a chair across from her, glancing at the door before turning to her excitedly.

"Is it true onii-san went _riding_ with you?"

"Huh?" Kana blinked, uncertain of what to make of this. "Well...yes. I gave him a tour of our estate, and we rode part of the way. Um...why do you ask?"

Satoshi closed his eyes, smiling and shaking his head. "You have no idea, right? Onii-san hasn't ridden a horse since middle school!"

"What? Why? He's...he's a really talented rider...and he seems to love horses..."

Satoshi sighed, looking at the door with a frown. "If onii-san hasn't told you about it, I don't think it's my place to say anything. He used to ride a lot more, but...something really sad happened a few years ago, and he's hardly gone near a horse since then." He turned back to Kana, his expression lightening. "But you...I don't know what you did, but it was something Mitsukuni and I couldn't even do. He must really like you." He winked playfully.

"Eh?" Kana flushed, choking a little on her words. "B-but I-!"

The door opened and Satoshi stood up abruptly, his bright grin returning. "Onii-san! Welcome back! I brought you guys some tea!" He gestured at the table.

Mori smiled slightly, then glanced at Kana and raised an eyebrow. Kana tried unsuccessfully to mask how much she had been blushing just then.

Satoshi glanced between the two of them, edging his way toward the door. "Well, I'll just leave you two to your studying, then! Bye, bye!" He clapped his big brother on the shoulder on his way out, earning him a raised eyebrow as well. Satoshi shut the door behind him.

There were a few moments of silence in which Kana was far too aware of how warm she was. She had a feeling it wasn't the room.

"Did Satoshi say anything strange?" Mori asked casually.

"No! Nothing at all!"

"Hm." He walked over to the sitting area and settled himself in the chair across from Kana, eying her with that unnerving gaze of his.

Kana glanced up at him shyly, then did a double-take. Did he look-just a little-embarrassed? _No way. Nothing fazes him._

Mori cleared his throat. "Well...if he did...you know how little brothers are..." he glanced irritably at the door through which the little brother in question had just disappeared.

"Oh...well, I don't have a little brother, but...Satoshi-kun seems nice..." Kana said in what she hoped was a diplomatic tone.

Mori sighed a little, then smiled at her, leaned forward, and ruffled her hair.

"A-ah...!" Kana found herself blushing all over again, and wondering if she would ever understand this boy's mannerisms. In order to avoid meeting his unnerving gaze again, she looked instead to what he had brought back with him. Her eyes widened.

"Anime?"

Mori shrugged a little. "Kyouya said you liked it, so I picked these up. They're supposed to take place during the Meiji era. I thought we could watch some, and talk about it. It might be more fun for you than reading your textbook."

"I...that would be more fun, but...are you sure it's okay?" _And how the heck would Kyouya know I like anime_?

Mori smiled and nodded, holding them up for her to choose one. She picked _Rurouni Kenshin:Trust and Betrayal_; the full-length series was one of her favorites, though she had never seen this OVA before.

Mori picked up a remote control and pressed a button; a large television screen descended from the ceiling a little way behind him, and the lights dimmed slightly. He then got up, moved the chair, and sat down on the couch beside her, a little closer than was strictly necessary. She gulped, and tried to keep her attention on the screen in front of her. Mori nudged her with his elbow, and she jumped, but he was only offering her a small notepad and pen, so she could keep track of important information. Unfortunately, at that moment, the only information she was processing was whether that unique, slightly-spicy smell was Mori's aftershave, soap, or cologne. Very academic.

* * *

To Kana's surprise, she learned quite a bit about the Meiji era that evening. Mori periodically paused the show to point out an inaccuracy or explain the importance of this or that political faction, and give more detailed information on certain real historical figures. Kana found that it actually made her enjoy the show more, having a deeper understanding of the real people and events.

She was further surprised that both she and Mori had teared up at the end of the show. She had not pictured him capable of crying, but she could have sworn she saw at least one tear glistening on his cheek. She, of course, had cried more openly, earning her a gentle hand on her back at some of the saddest scenes. It felt very odd to blush and cry at the same time.

It was also odd that, over the course of sitting on the couch with him, she began feeling more comfortable with his proximity, and was even reluctant to get up and go home after the show was over. Mori insisted on seeing her home, and had his own driver give her a ride back.

The ache in her chest as she waved goodbye was probably what confused her the most.

* * *

Kana spent the next day at the host club, and the day after that. And while the bullying incidents mysteriously decreased (which seemed to coincide with an equally mysterious increase in phone calls made by Kyouya in between class periods, and mysterious random appearances by various host club members wherever Kana happened to be at random times of the day), the yakuza letters in her locker grew steadily more threatening. It seemed that the host club's support so far was enough to stop families like Ayanokoji's, but not local crime lords.

Reading the letters reminded her that she had not heard from her parents again in days, so she read less and less of them; often throwing them away without even unfolding the paper. Any ridicule she received for her father's admirable work, she decided, she would gladly bear. And in truth, though she had difficulty admitting it to herself, she had fears of putting the members of the host club in danger by getting them involved. Sure, Kyouya and Tamaki could intimidate a few students with their influence at the school and in social circles, but the yakuza had other priorities besides academic success and social standing.

They were their own class, and were not so easily dissuaded.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER.

So, I'm not dead! I swear! I promised you guys I would finish this story, and I will finish it!

I'm so sorry I take so long in between chapters... T_T Thank you all for your patience!

One thing I'd like to say about this chapter and chapters following, is that we are now to the part of the story where I am working toward my ultimate goal of developing Mori's character beyond the scope of the host club manga. I'll be taking a few liberties with his backstory (actually, I started doing that last chapter). My goal is not to deviate at all from his actual character traits, but to provide more of an explanation for why he is the way he is, and explore what he's like when he's around people he's close to and having actual conversations with them. You guys can let me know if you think my interpretation is plausible! ^_^

Just one letter for the cast today:

FAN MAIL:

From: LadyAmazon

If you could take over the world; what would be your first law as leader?

Mori: ... *thinking carefully* ...

Haruhi: Well...I'd have to think about it. I mean, with something as important as that, you'd want to make sure you were very careful, and-

Hunny: Free cake for everybody!

Tamaki: Mandatory year-round kotatsu use! *eyes blazing with zeal*

Kyouya: My first actions would be to ensure the stability of my rulership.

Hikaru: Nothing. *shrug*

Kaoru: We'd hire someone to make the laws for us.

Mori and Haruhi: *sweatdrop*

Personally, LadyAmazon-san, I think Mori and Haruhi would make the best potential world leaders...9_9

(LadyAmazon, I am not ignoring the second part of your letter; I don't know anything about pokemon, and wouldn't do a very good job answering it! Gomen! ^_^; )

QUESTION TO READERS:

Hey, guys, Kana needs your help! She needs to think of a name for Mori-kun's rabbit, and is hoping our readers can help her! Isn't that right, Kana?

Kana: H-hai! Please send me your ideas! I want to make sure I can give Bunny-san a unique and fitting name!

So, go ahead and post your fabulous rabbit name ideas in your reviews! Kana and I will pick our favorite, and hopefully include it in the next chapter. Have fun with it! I look forward to hearing your suggestions.

Until next time!

Thank you for your reviews!


	20. 20: Real Camping

Chapter 20 at last! Wow. I can't believe how long this story is turning out to be. I want to thank everyone for their patience, as I have turned out to be miserably slow in updating. Still, I want to reaffirm that I am committed to finishing this story, no matter how long it takes me in between updates. Your reviews encourage me to keep writing, and every time I get one, I am reminded to go and write a little more. So...thank you!

Without further ado, I bring you...the 20th chapter!

* * *

Kana waited excitedly for the final bell to ring, signaling the end of the school week and the beginning of the host club weekend camping trip. She and the other customers had made arrangements to have their luggage sent ahead to the campsite, and several limos had been rented for the occasion, to transport everyone. While Kana knew perfectly well that this was not about to be "real" camping, like what she had done with her parents as a child, she was still looking forward to having a good time with everyone.

Haruhi had made several protestations the last few days about how butlers were not typically available on camping trips, nor were gourmet chefs, and he had to explain the difference between roasting hot dogs over a fire and being served fine sausages flambé. _Poor Haruhi_, Kana thought to herself, chuckling. _He must think this is all completely ridiculous. Well...it is completely ridiculous when you think about it._

She hadn't heard a word from her parents in the last few days. Every time she thought about them, her stomach tightened painfully. But there was nothing she could do about it, so she tried not to think about them at all. Her best hope was that they would be waiting for her when she returned home from camping.

Also, she had seen and heard nothing of the extra security her father had intended to set up for her; but then again, she wasn't supposed to. If they were as discrete as her father indicated, she might never see them. _I hope my going camping doesn't throw them off..._she thought worriedly. But then, following a high school girl on a camping trip shouldn't be a problem for professionals.

...Right?

When the bell finally did ring, Kana pushed anxious thoughts from her mind, determined that she was going to put her all into enjoying herself this weekend. After all, it was no use worrying about things over which she presently had no control.

"Kana-hime! Are you excited for our camping trip?" Tamaki turned to her, smiling broadly.

Kana reminded herself to smile back. _I'm going to _enjoy_ myself, darn it!_ "Yes! It will be nice to get away for awhile!"

Kyouya also stood to join them, slinging his bookbag over one shoulder with ease and adjusting his glasses. He spared them a slight smile. "All the arrangements have been made. I expect the luggage you and our other guests dropped off this morning at the music room is already on its way, and will be awaiting you in your tent when we arrive."

Kana giggled in spite of herself, mentally contrasting this "camping" experience to the time she and her parents went backpacking through Europe. _This will definitely be...different._ She pointedly ignored the glares she was getting from the other female students; they didn't dare make any remarks with Tamaki and Kyouya watching, but the feeling of resentment was still present. The few girls not glaring were the host club regulars who also planned to attend the camping trip. These gathered around as well, giving both Tamaki and Kyouya admiring gazes, and smiles of camaraderie to Kana. It seemed like, since she had shown up at the host club as a guest, these girls came out of the woodwork to regard her as part of an unspoken secret society. It was a little odd, but comforting to feel included in something. Kana returned their smiles.

"What are our transportation arrangements?"

"Oh, I _hope_ I get to ride with Haruhi!"

"I know! I wonder if it will be his first time riding in a limo..."

The girls swooned, caught up in their own imaginings. Kyouya coughed.

"Ladies, I regret to inform you that you will not be riding with your hosts for the weekend. The host club has its own private car which we will be taking, allowing us to prepare for the activities ahead. You will, however, be well cared-for by our families personal drivers, and seating arrangements are according to your designated hosts for the weekend." He bowed, the very picture of gentlemanly regret. "I am sorry if this comes as a disappointment. Hopefully the festivities this weekend will more than make up for it."

The girls fell over themselves assuring Kyouya that everything was perfectly fine, and they would be most satisfied with this arrangement.

* * *

The drive was largely uneventful; Kana found herself in a car surrounded by Hunny fans. They welcomed her into their midst like some long-lost sister, and peppered her with embarrassing questions about which of Mori's finer points she admired most, as it was well-known that she had received the special treatment of being his exclusive customer for an entire afternoon, not to mention the fact that she had been getting _private tutoring_ from him. By the time they finally arrived at Lake Toya, Kana had turned an impressive shade of red and couldn't wait to retreat to the privacy of her tent to recover.

Of course, she hadn't counted on Hunny and Mori being the personal escorts for the ladies of her limo, waiting for them and ready to walk them all to their respective campsites. Considering the other girls were all part of Hunny's entourage, they clustered around him, leaving her and Mori to walk alone together behind the group. A few of them gave her embarrassingly indiscrete winks.

Kana gulped, feeling more nervous being around him than she had in awhile. The girls' earlier questions spun around in her head like an annoyingly catchy song: _"Do you think he'd be a good kisser?" "Have you figured out what kind of cologne he wears?" "What's your favorite thing about him?" _This made it difficult to remain calm.

Mori seemed to sense her nervousness, and kept glancing at her with a slight purse of his eyebrows, which passed for a worried expression. Eventually, he leaned down close to the side of her face and whispered, "You all right?"

Kana suppressed a shiver. "Uhh...y-yes. I'm fine."

He obviously didn't believe her, but Kana was not about to elaborate on her current emotional state. Their path eventually diverged from the main one as Mori led her to her private camping area. The "tent" was a large, colorful structure with a canvas exterior; inside the double-wide archway that served as an entrance, Kana could see that the interior walls were lined with soft silk linens, and was fully furnished with a four-post bed, plush sofa, wardrobe, Persian rugs, gilded clawfoot bathtub, and small furnace. Two maids stood posted at either side of the entrance to welcome her.

The sight was almost too much, and Kana had to stop walking for a moment to suppress the eruption of laughter that threatened. She clapped one hand over her mouth to hold in her mirth. _It's...so...typical..._she thought to herself in horrified amusement.

Mori stopped only one step ahead of her, turning with both eyebrows raised in surprise and confusion.

"Haha! I...I'm sorry..." she managed between barely-contained giggles. The ridiculousness of the situation seemed to melt away her nervousness for the time being. She had a terrible feeling she was going to fall over from laughter, and Mori reached out one hand to steady her. "R-really...heh...I'm sorry...this is...this is lovely." She took some deep breaths to calm herself. "It looks very...comfortable." She smiled sheepishly up at him.

Poor Mori knew there was more to her outburst that he wasn't getting. He was about to ask her, when she looked up at him with that open, honest smile, freckles standing out, and tears of laughter making her eyes sparkle. He forgot what he was going to say. The air seemed to grow a little warmer. He blinked, breaking the strange spell, and nodded absently, guiding her by the arm he was still touching up the cobbled stone pathway to her tent.

"The maids will take care of you from here," he said, reluctantly breaking physical contact. "We're having a welcoming dinner tonight in the main pavilion of the campsite, at 6." He smiled. "I look forward to seeing you there." With a formal bow befitting any host, he turned and left her in the care of the maids.

Kana stood staring after him several seconds longer than was strictly necessary, with a ridiculous smile on her face to boot. One of the maids coughed politely. Kana turned to look at them, startled.

"He's a _handsome_ one, isn't he?" The maid asked with an all-too-knowing smile.

"Uhh..." Kana felt the heat rush back to her face in a wave. "W-well, he's a host, so..."

The maids exchanged looks. "...Let's get you a warm bath and a change of clothes, Miss. I'll bet you're tired from your long car ride, and you'll want to feel fresh for the ceremony tonight."

"...hosts have to be attractive, or they can't be hosts..." Kana continued explaining unnecessarily as they gently led her into the tent and closed the entrance.

* * *

The hosts gathered in a special pavilion central to their private tents; they had dedicated this spot to be their meeting and planning location for the duration of the trip. Haruhi sat in one of the plush reclining swings with an irritated expression on her face.

"What do you MEAN this isn't 'real camping'?" Tamaki cried, crestfallen.

"Never mind, sempai," she said flatly. "It's not something I'd expect you to understand."

The other hosts gathered around her with confused expressions.

"But Haruhi," said Kaoru, scratching his head, "We're sleeping outside...in tents..."

"Eating outside," continued Hikaru, "At a lake, with mountains and trees around..."

"I said NEVER MIND!" Haruhi snapped in exasperation.

Hunny was about to add his own comments to the discussion, when he looked up and saw Mori walking toward them. "Takashi! Welcome back!" He cried, bounding toward his cousin with a bright smile. As he approached, however, he slowed down and blinked at Mori with an appraising look. "Takashi? Are you okay?"

Mori stopped walking, frowned slightly, and nodded after a moment's pause.

"...Is Kana-chan okay?"

Mori's frown deepened, but he nodded again after another pause.

"Then what's wrong?"

The other hosts slowly began gathering around, drawn by Hunny's concern.

Mori shrugged with one shoulder, glancing away from his cousin.

"Mori-sempai, if something is bothering you, then please," Tamaki said, laying a hand on the taller senior's shoulder, "let us know if there's anything we can do to help."

Mori looked around at each of them, then sighed quietly. "Thank you. I think...I just need to think about some things for awhile..." He gave them all a half-smile, then turned to go down the path that led to his own private tent.

The hosts exchanged glances, Hikaru and Kaoru shrugging at each other.

"Hunney-sempai, is Mori-sempai going to be all right?" Haruhi asked.

Hunny smiled thoughtfully. "Yes, I think so, Haru-chan! I think he's just working out his feelings." He nodded to himself. "In fact, this might be a really good thing for Takashi."

Hikaru squinted in disbelief. "You can _tell _what's going on in that head of his? How?"

Hunny twirled smugly, little pink flowers dancing around his head. "Wellll...Takashi and me have known each other for a really, really long time, Hika-chan! And I think..." he motioned his friends closer, lowering his voice. "...I think Takashi really, really likes Kana-chan. But I don't think he knows that yet."

Most of them nodded knowingly, having already suspected this. Only Tamaki blinked in surprise. "Really? Mori-sempai and Kana-hime? Ahhh..." He looked up thoughtfully, tapping his chin. "That makes sense. Yes, yes. I can see it now..."

"Sempai...I know you're oblivious, but..." Haruhi muttered.

"Hunny-sempai! What should we do? We must help our friends realize their feelings, so their love story can be passed on to generations of children and grandchildren, inspiring a hundred, no, a _thousand_ happily-ever-afters...!" Tamaki's voice began to rise, and Haruhi reached up to clamp a hand over his mouth. He proceeded to turn bright red and temporarily lost the ability to speak, to everyone's relief.

Hunny sighed. "Tama-chan, I think we should leave them alone for now. I think eventually they'll realize their feelings on their own..." He smiled. "But Kana-chan might be a little closer to that than Takashi at this point..."

* * *

Bathed, dressed, and fussed over, Kana sat in her tent looking at herself in the vanity mirror. _I can't believe they brought in all this furniture..._ she thought wryly. The maids had insisted on doing her hair in soft curls that fell around her face. Kana fingered them absently. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Mori, and his strange attentiveness the past few days. She smiled in spite of herself, and was startled at her own expression. _What...what am I feeling?_ The answer stared her in the face as she blushed, but she shoved the thought aside, covering her cheeks with her hands. _It's...it's just a silly crush. He's a host. His job is to make girls feel like this. _Another part of her brain responded that her feelings were strongest when he _wasn't_ playing the part of the host. ..._But I don't even have a chance with him, so it doesn't matter anyway._ The thought was intended to be dismissing, but she felt her heart twist painfully. Tears sprang into her eyes and she shook her head violently. "_Stop_ that!" she said aloud, drowning out her thoughts.

One of the maids poked her head in, curious about the noise, and made an exclamation of despair over the mess Kana had just made of her curls. Both maids rushed in to fix their masterpiece.

Kana sighed, for the first time in her life thankful for the attention. It made it easier to curb the distressing turn her thoughts had taken.

Dinner that night was a formal affair; Kana had disbelieved Kyouya's instructions to bring formal attire on a _camping_ trip, of all things, but the maids came to her rescue by producing a selection of extra clothing that just happened to be in her size. Together, they selected a lavender, halter-necked cocktail dress with a black lace overlay. The skirt fell to her knees (much to her relief) and flared out slightly, allowing for some twirling, which the maids insisted she do several times (much to her embarrassment). The only part she felt unsure about was the low back, which was left open almost to the waist. The maids assured her that this was "lovely" and her other options tended toward being too fancy, too casual, too low-cut, too short, too everything-else.

Besides, she liked the color.

The maids escorted her as far as the main path, holding a lantern for her (though the way was already reasonably well-lit with small solar lights lining the walkway). There, she met up with the rest of the group she had ridden with in the limo, and they walked together to the pavilion. Kana nearly burst out laughing again when they arrived and she saw the spread for dinner: an array of round tables with fancy lace tablecloths were scattered around the pavilion; a long table sat at the head, at which Tamaki and the host club sat, dressed up like a royal court. Somehow, they had conned Haruhi into dressing like a girl for this cosplay, and he sat at Tamaki's right side as the "queen." Kyouya wore the dark royal robes of an advisor and magician, the twins wore complimentary jester's uniforms, and Hunny and Mori were dressed as knights of the royal guard. The whole place was awash with candlelight, and the smells of cooking wafted on the breeze, as somewhere in the background a gourmet chef performed his craft at an open-air kitchen.

All this, Kana had half-expected. What made her nearly lose it was the platter of marshmallows with ornate silver toothpicks that adorned each table, along with a tiny flaming centerpiece over which guests could "roast" them. A server scurried by with what appeared to be an order of sausage flambé. No wonder Haruhi looked so disgusted.

Kana took her place at the seat assigned to her; she was sharing a table with Hunny's fans. They listened to Tamaki make a rousing speech about the health benefits of camping, the honor of being at Lake Toya with so many lovely princesses, and his hope that everyone would have a marvelous time. His fans swooned as if he had proposed to each of them personally. Dinner was served (Kana even managed to eat a few marshmallows without laughing), and the guests were invited to retire to one of several lounge areas where hosts were waiting to entertain them.

Kana hesitated; seeing Mori brought up all the feelings she had spent the evening avoiding. But she swallowed and followed behind the rest of her companions to where Hunny and Mori were waiting, setting out tea and after-dinner mints.

Mori was as attentive as ever, seeing to it that Kana had enough sugar in her tea, a seat by the warm outdoor furnace, and dinner mints to her satisfaction. But to Kana, he seemed quieter than usual. She wasn't sure how she got this impression; Mori was always quiet. It may have been something in his eyes, but he seemed to be distracted by his own thoughts. Concern softened her nervousness, and she tried making eye contact with him. His eyes lingered on hers for a moment, and she thought she sensed a heat in his gaze that hadn't been there before. It startled her so much that she blushed and looked away. She couldn't muster the courage to try it again for the rest of the evening.

Eventually, the guests began trickling away back to their tents, and Hunny and Mori began removing their knightly armor pieces, revealing regular dress suits underneath. Hunny let out a huge yawn. "I think it's time for Bun-Bun and me to go to bed, Takashi..." he rubbed one bleary eye. He had one guest left; a quiet, dark-haired girl that Kana had seen somewhere before. The girl stood quickly at his announcement. "I will walk you back," she said bluntly. _Odd..._ Kana thought absently, as she watched the two of them. Hunny stopped mid-rub and peered up at his guest with his one open eye. His lips curled into a smile like Kana had never seen on his face before. Suddenly, he actually looked like he could be eighteen, despite the pink bunny clutched to his chest. "No, Reiko-chan, I'll walk _you_ back. That's what a gentleman should do, ne?" He stood and smiled warmly at her, and the girl turned crimson. "Bye bye, Takashi and Kana-chan! See you tomorrow!" He waved at Kana and Mori as he and the girl walked away, looking for all the world like a couple.

"Shall I walk you back?" Mori's deep voice asked from behind her.

"Uh..." Kana blushed, unable to make herself turn and face him. _Alone with him again. It's like someone is orchestrating this._ She glanced accusingly at the sky, but the stars seemed to be winking at her, so she gulped and answered "S-sure..." to Mori's offer.

He held out his arm, which she took shakily, and the two of them walked together down the path to her tent. After a few moments, Mori placed a hand over hers, frowned, and asked, "Are you cold?" He eyed her backless dress critically.

"Um...!" Kana snatched her trembling hand away, embarrassed. "I'll be fine once we get back to my..." But Mori was already removing his jacket. Kana swallowed.

"Here. Put this on." He held it up for her, helping her ease her arms into the enormous sleeves. _I feel so...small_. She giggled self-consciously as they got the jacket on. Her fingertips didn't even show, and the enormous piece of clothing hung down almost to her knees, leaving only a short ruffle of skirt poking out from underneath. Mori crossed one arm over his chest and put the other hand to his lips, suppressing a smile.

"I look ridiculous..." she said, shaking her head and smiling sheepishly.

"No. You don't," Mori said with certainty, offering his arm again.

Kana eyed him suspiciously as she took his arm and they resumed walking. "Then why are you smiling?" She asked in an accusatory tone.

The question turned his barely-suppressed smile into an all-out grin, and he let out a deep, throaty chuckle. "Because...you look cute like that," he said, glancing at her out the corner of his eye.

Kana was glad it was dark enough that there was at least a _chance_ he wouldn't notice her face go scarlet. She felt the blush spread instantly all the way down her neck, and it burned like fire. Suddenly she no longer needed the oversized coat, though it did help her feel a little less...exposed.

"...Um." She wasn't sure what else to say. "Th-that's...uh...um...!"

Mori laughed, clearly amused. Her brain turned to mush, and she found herself utterly unable to engage in meaningful conversation for the remainder of the walk to her tent. Somehow, he didn't seem to mind.

* * *

Mori bid Kana goodnight, leaving her to the courtesy of her maids. Kana couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different in the way he was looking at her, like he was paying more attention. Maybe too much attention. It made her shiver. _If he watches me too closely, he'll notice...that I..._

She decided not to even finish that thought, even to herself.

"Did you want to retire for the evening, Miss?" asked one of the maids.

"It's still early yet, if you wanted a bath, or we could request a masseuse?"

Kana stared at them blankly. "A...masseuse?" _Seriously?_

The maid nodded enthusiastically, and the other continued, "Oh! There's always the onsen. But I don't know that any of your girlfriends would be there this late in the evening..."

Kana perked up at that. "An onsen? A natural hot springs? I've never actually been to one..."

The maids smiled at her, expectantly waiting for her to state a preference.

_It might help me relax and stop thinking about...everything...before I go to bed. And it would certainly be more fun than that tacky bathtub._

"All right...I'd like to try the onsen, please!"

"Very well, Miss! Would you like us to call on any of your girlfriends to join you?" The maid fished a cell phone out of her dress pocket, holding it up in preparation. Kana immediately waved her hands in a negating motion.

"No, no! That...won't be necessary. I enjoy being alone."

Both maids looked disappointed. "Are you _sure_?"

"Yes. Absolutely." _I certainly don't want to deal with any more embarrassing conversation tonight!_

* * *

The onsen was only a short walk from the campsite, as it was part of the larger resort on this side of the lake. Kana's maids insisted on accompanying her at least to the outer building, saying they "Wouldn't dream of sending a lady on a walk alone at night!" Kana cringed inwardly at this, as she imagined they would most likely not approve of the morning walks she sometimes took on the way to school. She allowed them to come to avoid argument, but insisted they stay in the outer waiting area.

"Yes, I'm sure I can undress myself!" she insisted, closing the door and rolling her eyes. _Maids._

She turned and began to take in her surroundings. The women's dressing area seemed similar in some ways to ones found in an American public pool, except...shinier. The floors and walls were marble instead of concrete, and the whole room was adorned in shimmering, dim light, except for a warmer glow by the vanity mirrors. The place seemed deserted.

Smiling to herself at finally having some peace and quiet, she began to disrobe, wrapping a white fluffy towel around herself, and folding her things neatly into a pile on the end of one long bench. Then, she made her way out the door to where steam and warm water were waiting.

There was no one in the water that she could see, though rock formations and decorative foliage obstructed her view of some areas. Sighing, she removed her towel, folding it neatly on her head, and climbed in. At first, she floated lazily in one place, letting her body adjust to the heat, but she soon became curious and began to swim slowly around the various rock structures, admiring the steam as it rose into the night sky. She was just starting to enjoy herself when she turned a corner, only to come face to face with-

"_Haruhi?!" _She yelped, snatching the towel off her head and clutching it to her front, out of instinct.

Haruhi gasped as well, starting backwards into the water with a _splash_, also covering herself instinctively.

_Herself_.

Kana caught her breath, realization dawning as she remembered what she had just seen.

"Haruhi...you're...not a boy..."

* * *

END OF CHAPTER.

And, at long last, Kana gets in on the secret. But what will she do about it? Bwahahaaa!

Oh, and we have some fan mail for this chapter!

* * *

**From: YAYfanfics101**

I have a question for everyone ;) If you could have one person be your personal servant all week, who would it be? Yes, I know you rich people have servants, but its just so much more fun when its someone you don't like...or maybe someone you do ;D

Kaoru: Oh, that one's easy!

Hikaru: Ha-ru-hiii...*he drawls his voice creepily as he says her name, both twins' hair curling into devil horns.*

Haruhi: N-no! That would be terrible. That would be really terrible...*she clutches her chest, looking horrified*

Tamaki: I will not allow it! *he reaches over and grabs Haruhi, clutching her to him protectively* Haruhi wants to serve her Father! Don't you, Haruhi? You want to cook delicious bento for your Daddy? *he kneels down, looking up at her with hopeful puppy eyes*

Haruhi: *getting tired of this very quickly* Absolutely NOT.

Tamaki: *goes to cultivate mushrooms in a corner*

Kyouya: *scratches his chin thoughtfully* Haruhi is not a poor choice. She would be a very efficient worker.

Haruhi: *glares at Kyouya* Thanks. *deadpan*

Hunny: I'd pick Takashi! He can do all kinds of things, like reach things on high shelves...

Mori: *nods*

Kaoru: *yawns* So, Mori-sempai, does that mean you'd pick Hunny-sempai? You guys'd pick each other?

Mori: *shakes his head once, adamantly, with a frown*

Hikaru: Ohhh, RE-ally? *he gives a sideways smirk in Kana's direction*

Kana: ...Eh?

Hikaru: ...Does that mean you'd pick _Kana-_chan, Mori-sempai?

Mori: *frowns, looks like he's about to say something, then closes his mouth and glances away*

Hunny: Oh! Takashi! I bed Kana-chan would look cute in a maid uniform! Like that anime, Kaicho Wa Maid Sama!

Mori: *sighs quietly and covers his face with one hand*

Kana: *looks around at everyone, confused* Wait, what are we talking about? I wasn't paying attention!

Laleanen: Hehehe...it's probably better that way, Kana-chan...let's move on to the next question!

**From: The Midnight Shadow Star**

Question for everybody (and possibly something to bring up next chapter so people can vote on it, because I've been wondering for a while) if you were a book genre, which would you be? And, yes, if you must mix a few, that's all right. Oh! And Kana, dear. I think we readers would like to know-what happens when you get too tired?

Kana: *points to herself, confused* When...when I get too tired? I usually fall asleep. *she looks around at everyone, wondering if she's missing some joke* Isn't that what everyone does when they get too tired?

The hosts don't answer, but they all pointedly look away from Mori, who also pointedly does not look at Kana.

Kana: The fan questions this chapter are very confusing...

Laleanen: Seriously, don't worry about it. You'll understand...someday. Heh. I think...

Kyouya: *adjusts glasses* As for the rest of your question, Midnight-san, I believe I would be an autobiography. *he smiles slightly*

Tamaki: I, of course, would be a book of _romance_, princess! But what else could fit my charms? *he poses dramatically*

Haruhi: Um...probably a textbook...maybe political or social science...or law! *she glows a bit* I think this is my favorite question! Thank you for asking!

Hunny: *twirls* A children's book, of course! *he giggles, winking at Midnight-san*

Kaoru: Mystery...*he tips an imaginary detective hat*

Hikaru: Thriller! *with a cat-like grin, he strikes an action pose*

Mori: A history book. About samurai.

Kana: Uhhh...

Laleanen: Kana, you'd be a shoujo manga.

Kana: Hmph. *she crosses her arms* I'd rather be a nature guide or something...but okay.

**From: xxyangxx2006**

Oh and I have a question for the hosts: What is your nature element and why?

Tamaki: My element is...Light! *eyes shine in beatific joy*

Haruhi: *muttering* More like cheap glitter...*cough* Um...I think I would probably be Earth. I think I'm fairly grounded.

Kyouya: *smirks* Well...if it pleases you all...I'd most likely be _shadow_. If I am to be the "Shadow King", after all...

Kaoru: Hikaru is definitely fire!

Hikaru: *grins* Yeah, that's right! And Kaoru is air! Together we make...

Both twins: EXPLOSIONS.

Laleanen: Err. That's a little scary, you guys...

Mori: Earth.

Hunny: My element is sugar! Because I'm sweet, and I love sweets! *smile smile*

Kana: Um...I'm not sure that's an element, Hunny-sempai...*sweatdrop* I think...actually, I'm not sure what element I'd be!

Laleanen: Dear, readers, do you have any suggestions for Kana-chan as to what element she would be, and why?

**From: mute-by-choice**

Next I have a few questions for our shadow king... Oh! And don't think you can  
get out of answering one by answering another for your own purposes Kouya!

Kyouya: *glances at mute out of the corner of his eye* Hmm. You don't live up to your username, do you, dear reader? *sighs* Very well. I will attempt to answer your questions. Because Laleanen is threatening to write a scene where something terrible happens to me if I do not.

Right, so...What exactly are you getting out of helping Mori and Kana? What are you  
getting out of helping Kana period? Something from her parents? Something from  
Mori? What?... Is Honny bribing/blackmailing you? You know I can actually kind  
of see that last one... No offense ment to Honny of course! I just think  
people tend to forget that Honny /is/ 18 and that despite his love of sweet  
and cute things he can be more mature than the rest of the hosts put together.

... Now /there's/ a scary thought. Just teasing Honny!

Kyouya: *blinks* This isn't obvious? I have stated on numerous occasions that Kana's family has political influence. It's an excellent opportunity for me to incur favor from an important family. And as for Hunny-sempai...

Hunny: *smiles, little flowers floating around his head*

Kyoya: ...He can be very sinister, can't he? I can see how you would make that mistake.

Hunny: HEY! That's mean, Kyou-chan!

Laleanen: Kyouya, are you sure you aren't just deriving personal satisfaction from seeing your friends happy?

Kyouya: Well, if that were true, I wouldn't be in character, would I? *smirk*

**From: PenBeatsSword**

Queschion for the Hostz... If you had to dress up as something for an entire year, what would it be? And Mori, please oh please oh please oh PLEASE take your shirt off!

Mori: O_O Ah...gomen...*he bows in polite refusal, sweatdropping* I would be a samurai.

Kana: Um...I think I would dress as...an explorer!

Haruhi: Well...probably a boy, since I've pretty much been doing that anyway...*shrugs*

Kyouya: I will _not_ dress up as something other than myself for an entire year. Some occasions require specific attire.

Hunny: A bunny!

Tamaki: Well, the most logical choice for me would be a prince...don't you think? *winks*

Hikaru and Kaoru: *identical grins* The Cheshire Cat...

* * *

That's it, folks! Also, I wanted to let everyone know that I DID get your bunny name suggestions, and Kana and I have picked one! Thank you so much! She didn't get a chance to talk to Mori about it this chapter, but I think she will next chapter. Look forward to it!

Thank you for your reviews! PLEASE review! It does help me so much. Until next time!

-Laleanen


	21. 21: Kana's Fear

"Haruhi...you're...not a boy..." Kana said, gaping. She relaxed her death grip on the towel.

Haruhi sighed. "You startled me! I didn't think anyone else would come out here this late." She laughed a little. "Oops."

"You're...all this time...I thought..._everyone_ thinks...!" Kana prattled in disbelief.

"Well, not everyone. The other hosts know. And Kasanoda-san. And...now you." Haruhi smiled.

"But...why would you pretend to be a boy? And as a _host_?"

"Well...it's a long story. It's not so bad, actually. I kind of enjoy it; getting to entertain guests and all. But I don't really mind if you want to tell people. It's not a big deal either way." She shrugged, looking oddly pleased with herself, and...

_Surprisingly nonchalant about the whole thing. You would think pretending to be the opposite gender for the whole year would be a big deal._

"No, no. I won't tell anyone. You've been passing as a boy for _this _long. I don't want to be the one to start that kind of drama." Kana smiled, feeling a sudden sense of camaraderie. "Your secret's safe with me!"

Haruhi smiled back, and looked thoughtfully at the steam rising into the night sky. "Well. It'll be nice to have someone I can relax around."

Kana beamed with pleasure, and the two of them sat together in the warm water, enjoying a few moments of peace and quiet.

* * *

A little while later, when the two of them had dried and dressed, they emerged from the waiting room, comfortably conversing.

"...so then, somehow, I ended up making them _all_ lunch, and all they could talk about was how tiny my apartment is..."

"Heh. They should try living in a boarding school dormitory!"

"Exactly. Honestly, it really isn't even that small. Anyway, so my Dad says to Tamaki-"

"_H-haruhi?!_" an alarmed set of voices asked as they emerged. Tamaki and Hikaru came charging toward the two of them, breathing hard. "What...the two of you...I mean...!" Their faces were a grotesque mixture of horror, questioning, and polite deception.

Haruhi blinked at the two of them expressionlessly. "Kana-chan knows I'm a girl."

Tamaki turned ashen and looked over at Kana. Hikaru sweat-dropped, putting on a sweet, nervous smile and sauntered over to her.

"Kaaaana-hime...you would never _tell_ anyone about this...right?"

"Please, Kana-hime! If Haruhi's secret is discovered, she will no longer be a host, and if she's not a host anymore than she'll...she'll..." Tamaki threw himself at her feet dramatically, trembling all over.

"Uhhh..." _Actually, a few things are starting to make more sense, now._ "Don't worry about it. I'm not going to tell anyone." She tried to smile at them both reassuringly, and they crumpled in relief. "But...um...you may want to speak with _them_..." She gingerly pointed behind the two boys, where her assigned maids sat silently, wide-eyed, unnoticed by the hosts until that moment.

Tamaki blinked at the maids for a few moments, his face blank and pale. An icy breeze seemed to blow from somewhere as they looked at each other. Odd, considering the warm weather.

Abruptly, Tamaki shook himself, and his entire bearing shifted into prince mode. He bowed with flourish, looking up at the maids through his eyelashes with more than a hint of seduction. "Well..._hello_, beautiful princesses! Forgive me for not greeting you sooner..." he sauntered over to them, hands outstretched to take each of theirs. "...but I was in a state of distress. You see..." he wiped a tear from his eye, "Our dear Haruhi's secret has, thus far, remained safe with her family..."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. Tamaki was, of course, referring to the host club, rather than her father or other, _actual_ relatives.

"...but if it was to be discovered by someone else, I am glad to find that it was someone as deserving of our trust as Miss Kana-chan." From somewhere within his lapel, he produced two delicate flowers, and proffered them to the maids, his eyes widening just slightly, in an expression of innocence and vulnerability. "I would be forever grateful for the discretion of your gentle lips as well."

The maids tittered predictably, falling over themselves to reassure Tamaki that he had nothing to fear from them.

Kana gaped disbelievingly at Tamaki's quick work of the maids. _Seriously? I knew he was flamboyant, but...good grief._

"M'lord's charms work every time, eh?" Hikaru said cheerily.

"Now that's all settled," said Tamaki, twirling to face them. "I think it's past your bedtime, young lady!" He wagged his finger at Haruhi, who rolled her eyes. "Let's get these sleepy princesses back to their tents!" He announced imperiously to Hikaru, who grinned and saluted, draping an arm over each of the girls' shoulders.

"We'll protect you, ladies..." he purred, seeming to relish in Kana's uncomfortable blush, and Haruhi's irritated sigh. Funny how he and his brother seemed to feed on others' discomfort.

True to their word, Tamaki and Hikaru walked them both to the entrance of Kana's tent, where her maids took charge, still falling over themselves as they thanked Tamaki. Kana felt a bit sorry to be leaving Haruhi to the ridiculousness of the two hosts, and gave her an apologetic smile. Still, she looked forward to a good night's sleep, and after allowing her maids to fuss over her briefly, sank gratefully into the egregious four-post-bed. _Perhaps tomorrow, the _real _camping will begin..._

* * *

The next day, after more fussing, washing, and dressing by her maids, Kana arrived at the main pavilion for breakfast with her fellow guests. Over a spread of soft boiled eggs (served in crystal cups), crêpes with sweet cream and berries (imported from France) and _commoner coffee_, of all things, the host club announced the activities of the day. Kana nearly choked on her coffee when the words "cruise vessel" came out of Kyouya's mouth.

_A cruise? On a lake? Good grief. They will stop at nothing to be as decadent as possible._

The cruise was to commence in a few hours...just enough time, the hosts explained, for the princesses to make themselves even more enchanting in their summer finery.

_Wait. Finery? Again?_

She glanced over at Mori, seated casually at the hosts' table, and tried not to imagine him wearing "finery". She could have sworn that she saw his eyes flicker, as if he had been looking somewhere else and glanced quickly back at Tamaki, who was still orating. She sighed, pushing the possibilities out of her mind, dismissing them as wishful thinking.

* * *

Mori glanced quickly back at Tamaki when he saw Kana's eyes turn toward him. He frowned internally at himself for letting thoughts of her wearing "finery" distract him so much that he had stopped listening. Not that Tamaki was _saying_ much of anything at present, but Mori prided himself on his ability to focus and control the wanderings of his mind. He would spend time meditating this afternoon.

Meditation had been more challenging recently. He tried to spend an hour in silence every morning and evening, but lately clearing his mind had been nearly impossible. Images of Kasuga Kana kept creeping into his thoughts...wearing his coat, sleeping peacefully in the gardens, riding horseback...

And while the pictures were oddly pleasant and warming, he felt anything but peaceful afterward. Something needed to be done, he knew that, but he felt a strange reluctance to change the new pattern. If he was very, very honest with himself, he liked thinking about her. And looking at her.

He stole another glance.

* * *

Mori glanced back at her, meeting her gaze for a moment as Kana froze, then turned hurriedly (and far too late) in mortification that he caught her staring. She felt her face heat up, and sighed to herself about how much he seemed to discomfit her _It's not fair, really. He's always so serene...it's like nothing phases him. While I'm...I'm..._

She self-consciously tried to shield her face with one hand, feeling his eyes on her. The blush deepened.

_...Like this._

* * *

The "finery" this time turned out to be a sea green satin dress, selected for its knee-length skirt. The neckline was not so low as to be plunging, per se, but it was a tad lower than she was used to, and the fabric had a tendency to cling around her figure. She wondered, as she had often done in the past, if fancy clothing was designed for the purpose of making the wearer uncomfortable in all manner of ways.

Thankfully, the dress was easy to move in, light and soft. In fact, it felt more natural than her daily Ouran uniform, and was certainly more becoming. Not that it was difficult to be more becoming than _yellow_.

Her maids fussed with her hair again, insisting this time that it had to be in an up 'do, because, of course, one could not repeat the same hairstyle two events in a row. They were scandalized when she suggested it. Still, she sort of liked the way they braided strands of her hair into a headband, and the bits that strategically stuck out at the back gave it a playful look. _Maybe Mori will like it..._ As soon as she caught herself with the thought, she mentally slapped it out of her brain. She was determined not to let herself get carried away.

It was difficult to hold on to that resolve when she saw Mori in his formal wear. No cosplay this time, just ordinary fancy clothes, but these were tailored to perfection and appeared specially designed to accentuate each of the hosts' most striking attributes. Mori's highlighted his long legs, broad shoulders, and brought out his dark grey eyes. Kana gulped.

Clearly, he was taking his hosting duties very seriously today, because she could see when he got closer that his cheeks were touched with a slight shade of pink that wasn't normally there. He must be working hard, and it _was_ getting warm already. Too warm.

"Nice day for a...a cruise, huh?" she said, greeting him with a shaky smile.

"Ah..." he responded, sounding somewhat distracted. His eyes flickered briefly over her dress, before quickly meeting her eyes. "Shall I...escort you?" He asked, holding out an arm and gesturing toward the boarding ramp.

Kana nodded shyly, and let him lead her toward the extravagant ship, focusing very hard on not tripping. Boarding ramps and high heels do not go well together. When they arrived on deck, it seemed to Kana that Mori held onto her arm for just a few moments longer than necessary, and even gave her hand a little squeeze before he left her side to go and greet more guests. She blinked, shaking her head a little and trying to tell herself it was not all just a dream.

The unlikeliness of the cruise ship did not help her sense of surrealism. The host club was certainly going all out, ordering the oversized vessel just to take a few of their fans out for an afternoon. Kana walked around the deck, marveling at the floral arrangements and fine crystal chandeliers that graced the below-deck ballroom and dining area. The main deck was richly decorated as well, with tiny lights lining the outer rim, ready to be lit as the ship made its way back to dock at sundown.

Soon, all the hosts and guests had gathered on board, and Tamaki was making another welcoming speech to launch their little voyage. He never seemed to tire of those. She allowed her mind to wander, glancing over the other guests' dresses, and marveling at how Haruhi pulled off looking so much like a boy, when she was actually a very pretty girl if you really thought about it...

_Did Tamaki just say something about a dance today?_

Kana's breath caught. That sort of thing was to be expected, of course, from the host club, but...the image of Mori genteelly asking for "this dance" would not go away.

"...the gentle swaying of the ship will match the gentle swaying of our embrace, as each moves in time with the music of our hearts..."

Good _lord,_ but Tamaki did like to make speeches. Kana tried not to imagine swaying in Mori's embrace. She swallowed, but the lump in her throat refused to budge. _I think I'll...spend some quality time by the punch bowl today. I need something to drink_.

* * *

As the ship made its way slowly around the scenic lake, a string quartet emerged from one of the private rooms below deck, and began to set up for the dance. All the other guests tittered excitedly, whispering to each other about what was to come. According to Tamaki, they would play enough songs for each guest to have at least one dance with their designated host, ensuring that no one would be left out.

The music started, and Kana poured herself more punch. The hosts drew their respective client's names from a jar while the guests waited with bated breath, anticipating when they would be approached for a coveted dance. Kana figured she had some time to emotionally prepare herself; after all, they said every guest would get an opportunity, and the chances of her name being drawn first-

When she looked over at Mori, she realized he was not reaching into a jar to pick a name. In fact, he didn't seem to have a jar at all. Kyouya had walked over to him and was whispering something, and Mori was nodding, his eyebrows slightly raised, and he started looking around the room with a searching expressing on his face. Feeling her heart drop into the pit of her stomach, she remembered that most of her fellow "Mori-and-Hunny" fans were, in fact, fans of Hunny. Some of them seemed to enjoy watching Hunny and Mori interact, but when it came down to it, Hunny was the one they focused their attention on most. It was entirely possible that she was the only one of Mori's "fans" to have come along on this camping trip. And that meant she could be dancing with him _exclusively_ this evening.

Suddenly, his eyes found hers, and he began walking toward her with a very purposeful stride. She gulped. No time to emotionally prepare. And nowhere to run, either, as she had placed herself at the corner of the deck, with her back to the railing.

"Kana-chan," he started, stepping close to her. He lowered his voice to just above a whisper, standing close and to the side, using discretion. "I have been informed that, because Mitsukuni and I have the fewest guests, I will be dancing with him for the first few songs..." he cleared his throat, "...to please them. But." He lowered his voice slightly, leaning closer to her ear so she could hear him better. "After that, the rest of the dances belong to you. If you'd like."

Nervously, she glanced up to see his expression. His eyes were warm, anticipating her answer. She barely managed an affirmative "Mm", and a small smile, which she thought was entirely inadequate, but he seemed pleased. He graced her with a rare, broad smile, and a soft touch on the shoulder before he turned back to perform his hosting duties. Kana couldn't feel her feet touching the deck anymore.

The breeze had begun to pick up as the dance progressed, fluttering the skirts of the guests as they swayed and twirled, and flapping Hunny's bowtie in the breeze as Mori swung him around by his arms. Hunny appeared to love every minute of it, giggling like the small child that he wasn't, as did his guests, beaming like proud mother hens and tittering over the adorableness of it all.

The other guests were just as enthusiastic, each in their own ways. The girl Tamaki was dancing with, a pretty blonde, blushed spectacularly and looked up at him with adoring blue eyes, while he whispered compliments and twirled her expertly. Kyouya and Haruhi each talked amicably with their guests as they danced with more subdued steps, but while Kyouya mostly talked, Haruhi mostly listened. The twins seemed to be taking turns _switching_ guests, dancing in intertwining patterns as they handed off two girls between them. The girls giggled uncontrollably, seeming a little dizzy and breathless, but having a lot of fun.

"Wait! Wait...give me a moment...!" one of the girls begged through her laughter, leaning up against the railing to catch her breath.

"Aw, c'mon!" One of the twins teased; Kaoru, Kana thought, though she wasn't really sure how she knew. "Am I moving too fast for you?" He winked, giving the phrase a double meaning, and causing the girl to blush.

"I-" suddenly, the breeze picked up, snatching at the silk shawl draped around her shoulders. Gasping, she grabbed at it, missed, and then jumped as the wind took it higher, just over the edge of the railing. She had hopped up the railing, which was slick from the spray of the lake, and Kana and the rest of the onlookers watched in horror as the girl toppled over the side and into the water below.

Kana started moving without thinking. The spot where she had settled herself in the corner of the deck was near a life preserver; she grabbed it, ran to where the girl had gone overboard, hiked her skirt up, jumped over the railing, and plunged in.

The girl had been wearing a halter gown with a full, princess cut skirt and petticoats. It was lovely for dancing. Deadly for swimming. The girl was panicking as her dress grew heavy with water and began to drag her downward, into the nearly 300-foot depths below. "Help!" she cried out before her mouth filled with water.

Kana reached her in moments, shoving the life preserver in her direction, but the girl thrashed around, too disoriented to grab onto it. Distantly, Kana heard another splash behind her. She reached out to grab the girl by the arm, and felt the girl grab her instead, hands slipping on her wet skin, causing her to panic more, grabbing at Kana's dress and hitting her in the face in the process.

"Not me! Grab this!" Kana urged, shoving the preserver at the girl insistently. Finally, she got a grip on her arm and yanked it toward the floating object, getting hit in the side of the head this time for her trouble. But the girl held on.

"Kana!" a voice bellowed behind her. Kana turned to see Mori swimming toward them, a look on his face like she had never seen before. He pushed another life preserver toward her, and she gave the girl a shove to propel her toward him. After the struggle, she wasn't sure she had the strength to swim all the way back to the boat, much less tow the girl back as well. Mori gave her a worried look, but she said, "I'll be fine; you can't tow both of us. Go take her back." Mori hesitated for only a breath, nodded once, and then swam back to the boat with remarkable speed for having only one arm free.

Kana felt her muscles deaden with cold and weariness as the adrenaline left them. She shivered; even on a warm day like today, the water chilled her. She managed to paddle toward the boat slowly, clutching the life preserver Mori gave her, but stopped to rest every few strokes. Mori reached the boat, staying only to ensure the girl was safely hoisted up to the twins' waiting arms before he dove back into the water. She vaguely wondered what he was doing, before he reached her in a few moments, touching her wet cheek briefly with an expression of concern before he began towing her the rest of the way back, as well.

* * *

Soon, Kana and Mori were both draped with warm blankets, and seated next to each other in front of a large bonfire back at the camp. The girl, whose name, Kana learned, was Sakura, was seated between the twins, who seemed to be trying to make her laugh. She had been tearful and mortified over Kana's bruises, not to mention that she had been the one to fall overboard in the first place, but with some reassurances, and surprising gestures of affection from the twins, she seemed to be recovering.

Other than being tired, a little damp, and sporting a shiny bruise on her cheek, Kana was feeling much better. Mori had been embarrassingly attentive ever since they emerged from the water, hardly leaving her side, feeling her forehead, and piling her with blankets until she had to tell him to stop, because they were getting too heavy. Even now that she was changed and getting warm and dry by the fire, she could feel his watchful eyes on her, and he sat a little closer than was strictly necessary. Not that she minded.

Tamaki stood as everyone gathered, clapping his hands softly to get everyone's attention. "My dear princesses, we have had a rather exciting day today, I'm afraid. But now that everyone is warm and dry, and settled with the prince of your choice..." he plopped himself down in the midst of three girls, who seemed to be ready to take turns sitting next to him, "We've arranged for some entertainment this evening. In the true spirit of camping out, it's time..." he put on a positively devilish grin, to envy even the twins, "For some ghost stories!"

_...What?_

"I've invited our esteemed friend, Nekozawa-sempai, and his Black Magic club to regale us with tales of terror! And please, my princesses...feel free to snuggle up to one of us for comfort and protection, if need be." He gestured invitingly for the girl sitting with him to share his blanket. She jumped at the chance, though the "entertainment" hadn't even started, yet.

Kana gulped.

Having had his introduction, Nekozawa-sempai did indeed emerge, in a spectacular rain of black sparks, seemingly out of the ground. In the dimming evening light, reflections from the flames danced on his shrouded face, making his barely-visible grin seem menacing.

Kana shivered slightly, earning her a concerned look from Mori, as he again placed his large hand over her forehead to check for the fever he seemed sure was there. She gently pushed his hand away, blushing at the proximity. "I'm fine, I just-"

At that moment, four more figures in black appeared with a series of _pop_s, and more black sparks. Kana jumped this time at the sudden noise, letting out a squeak. Mori raised an eyebrow at her, but she avoided looking at him, so he settled for patting her back, instead.

"My friends..." Nekozawa began, addressing the newcomers, "...have I ever told you the tale of the Two Sisters?"

Collectively, they shook their heads "no", inviting him to continue, as they stepped lightly around the fire, moving in an almost-dance.

"Well, then...let us begin!"

Maniacal laughter filled the evening air. It was unsettling how well he did that.

The Black Magic club members began half-telling, half-miming, and shadow-playing their tale, which was full of Deaths Occurring Under Mysterious Circumstances, and characters that were questionably living, dead, insane, or somewhere between all three. They were not even halfway finished before Kana found herself trembling, all inhibitions forgotten, and burying her face against Mori's shoulder.

"Kana-chan." His voice came softly, soothing.

She was afraid her voice would break if she answered, so she said nothing. She tried to nod.

"Kana-chan." Firmly, this time, but still soothing. "Are you all right?"

She felt an arm wrap around her. She was sure her face would have burned right through his coat if she hadn't been so caught up in her own fear, and not due to any fever. She managed to shake her head "no."

"...would you like to go?"

She couldn't nod hard enough. For a moment, she worried what others would think, if they saw the look on her face when she left the safety of his shoulder, but he drew the blanket around so she was shielded from them, and to a questioning pause from Nekozawa-sempai, said only, "Kasuga-hime is tired. I am escorting her to her tent." That seemed to satisfy them, and she stumbled away with Mori's steady hand on her back, guiding her.

* * *

"I don't. Like. Ghost stories," she said emphatically, when she regained her voice.

"Ah."

"I never have. They just...they make me feel all cold, and..." she shivered again, and Mori gave her another reassuring pat.

"Ah."

Kana sighed gratefully as they reached the little path to her own tent. Her heart sank, however, when she realized it was dark and empty at the moment. Of course, the maids were not required to be present when she was not, and she was not expected back for a few hours, yet. Still, the thought of being there by herself...unthinkingly, she stepped a little closer to Mori.

He just looked at her for a few moments, while she mentally argued with herself about what to do. _He walked me all the way here...I can't go back. I don't _want_ to go back. But I don't want to be here by myself, and-_

"What do you want to do?" he asked, finally.

She gulped. "Uhhh..." she looked up at him nervously. _Just say it. "Please stay with me for a bit." He'll probably say yes. Ask him._ No matter how she pep-talked herself, the words would not leave her mouth. She heard herself say in a small voice, "I-I'm fine. By myself..."

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he bent down to look at her face more closely. Expression almost accusing, he said, "No. You are not fine." He straightened, and began walking toward her tent, opening the flap for her. "I will wait with you until the maids return."

Her head spun, but she nodded and followed him, turning on the interior camp lights her tent was furnished with, once inside. Mori left the tent flap open slightly, and sat near the entrance, so the maids would not be scandalized by his presence when they did arrive. Kana took a seat halfway across the tent on the edge of her bed.

"Th-thank you. For staying with me. I...didn't want to ask. Are you sure this is okay?"

Mori nodded in acknowledgement, his eyes soft.

"If you couldn't tell, I don't care for ghost stories. At all. They stick in my head until I can't think about anything else, especially at night. It's worse when I'm alone." She gave a short, mirthless laugh. "The girls at boarding school thought it was hilarious." She shivered.

Mori frowned as he listened.

"Oof. I can't stop thinking about the story they were telling tonight, either. Please, ask me something. Anything. Just get me talking about something else." Her voice had a pleading tone to it.

Mori nodded. "Tell me more about boarding school."

Kana blinked at him in surprise, and bit her lip. "O-okay. Um..." She fidgeted needlessly with her hair, suddenly embarrassed at being the center of his attention. "It was an all-girl school, and I lived in a dormitory with ten other girls my age. There were...pros and cons to that. Not a lot of privacy. Kind of hard if you didn't fit in." She shrugged uncomfortably, looking down. "Which I didn't."

Mori frowned in concern.

"I mean, the education itself was pretty decent. The school had beautiful grounds to go walking in. It wasn't all bad. I just...didn't make a lot of friends, there. The one friend I did make only stayed for one term, before she moved."

"You were bullied?" he asked bluntly.

Kana swallowed. "Well...yes."

Mori's fist clenched. "How?"

"Uh...verbally, mostly. They had all sorts of names for me. Leaving me out of events. Hiding my belongings. There were some...physical things, too. But I don't really like to talk about that part." She gave him a weak smile.

He waved his hand slightly. "You don't have to. I'm sorry."

There was an uncomfortable silence between them.

Surprisingly, Mori broke it first. "Ask me something."

"...What?"

"Ask me a question." He looked at her earnestly. "Anything you like."

Kana shifted on the bed, trying to get a better look at his face. He was as unreadable as ever, but the invitation seemed genuine. She felt a thrill of anticipation at the thought of actually getting him to talk. She didn't need to think about what question she wanted to ask.

"Um...when I talked with your brother, he seemed surprised that we had gone horseback riding, but he wouldn't say why. He said...something sad happened." She glanced at Mori, unhappily noticing that his eyes suddenly looked very distant. "Please...if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay! I just-"

Mori held up a hand, and she trailed off. When he met her gaze, the look was gone and he wore a gentle smile again. "It's all right. It's true that riding with you was the first time I'd been on a horse in five years. Before that, I rode all the time." He looked wistfully out the tent door into the darkened campsite, lit now only with the solar lights lining the little pathway. "There was one horse that was...very special to me. When I rode her, I could lose myself in the ride. She knew what I was thinking before I thought it, and understood and accepted me in a way that no one else did." He looked back and Kana, seeming surprised to hear himself talk so much. "I'm sorry. That probably sounds strange."

"No!" Kana shook her head adamantly. "Not at all! Some animals are special like that. What...what happened to her?"

Mori sighed. "She...died. Broke her leg while I was riding her at a canter between jumps. We were preparing for a show...and I felt it was my fault."

"But...!"

He held his hand up again. "I know. It happens all the time. But that's how I felt, and I didn't want to ride again. Until you asked me to." He smiled at her, gratefully.

Kana's mouth suddenly felt a little dry.

"Riding with you made me miss it, so I've been spending more time with the horses at home. In fact...I'm thinking of applying to the university equestrian team." He swallowed, not quite looking at her. "...Thanks to you."

Kana became very interested in her fingernails. _Thanks to me? _"Mori, I..."

Mori nodded in the direction of the path outside the tent. "I think your attendants are coming back." He started to rise.

Kana hopped off the bed, hurrying over to him, and impulsively reached out to touch his arm. "W-wait..."

Surprised, he looked down at her questioningly.

"I, uh...I thought of a name for your bunny... What about Momiji-chan?"

Mori's eyes twinkled, and he took Kana's hand, which was still resting furtively on his arm, in his. "That sounds like a perfect name, Kana-hime." Slowly, maintaining eye contact with her, he bent his head down and planted a firm kiss on the back of her fingers. Her head spun dizzily, and she barely registered his words of farewell and her own response, as he left the tent and briefly conferred with her maids before continuing on to rejoin his fellow hosts.

_He's thinking of joining the university equestrian team...because of me?_ She was floating, but another thought brought her sharply and painfully back to earth. _University. He's graduating this year, and I..._ She felt tears prickling inexplicably at the back of her eyes, _I don't know if I'll see him again after that. _The maids arrived, but she barely heard them as they gave their apologies and started making preparations for her bed. _Why do I feel like this? Why are my emotions all over the place? _The answer that she knew, that she had been actively avoiding, and as the back of her fingers still tingled where he kissed them, she realized she couldn't push away anymore, came crashing down: _I like him. I like Mori. _She covered her face with her hands. _A lot. _

She brushed off the maids' expressions of concern by saying that she was just tired, and settled into a troubled sleep.

* * *

On the television, two anchors babbled back and forth about some inane local "human interest" story. It was the ticker tape scrolling along the bottom of the screen that caught Sendou's interest: "KASUGA U.N. PROPOSAL WILL DECREASE ORGANIZED CRIME BY 400%, STUDIES CLAIM. VOTE TO TAKE PLACE ON 09/25".

Sendou glanced at the calendar hanging on his wall. That was in less than two weeks. Something would have to be done about Kasuga Kyon before then. His daughter did not seem to be cooperating; very well. They would proceed without her cooperation.

He had given her a fair chance.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER.

* * *

Author's note: My dear readers, if you are ever in a situation like Kana's and a friend is in trouble in the water, DO NOT JUMP IN AFTER THEM. This is my version of "Kids: don't try this at home." There is a reason Kana earned some bruises in this chapter. If you are ever in this situation, call for help, get a lifeguard, or _throw_ a floatation device to the person until help can arrive. Do NOT get in the water with them. A drowning person can drown you, too, in their panic; no matter how good of a swimmer you are. /disclaimer

Oh, and guess what? We have finally reached the chapter where I reveal Kana's fear! :D Your answers were all very good, but a bit more serious than I had intended. You're too deep for me! ^^; I really just meant she's afraid of ghosts and such...the "clue" I mentioned occurred several chapters ago, when she is looking for clubs to join and briefly happens upon the Black Magic Club. It was very short, and if you blinked, you'd have easily missed it.

Bunny-san ended up being named "Momiji", partially because Fruits Basket is personally my favorite manga of all time (even more than Ouran!), but also because, yes, Kana likes anime, and I think she would be familiar with the reference. Also, I didn't choose the name Bunny-chan or Usagi because...that's the name of Hunny's stuffed rabbit! ("Usa-chan" = "Usagi-chan") I didn't think Kana would want to copy him even though Mori might have gone for the idea...

Thank you, Shadowess 88, for suggesting the rabbit's name be "Momiji". I knew it was perfect when I read your review. ^_^

* * *

FAN MAIL

**From: LollipopWanter**

I have some questions, 1: This is for everyone, whats your BIGGEST fear? 2:Kyouya, whats your opinion of Laleanen-san? 3:Kana, what would you have your...special someone... dress up as? Oh and Laleanen-san i think your really cool for writing this!

Laleanen: Uwaah! And I think you're really cool for reading it, Lollipop Wanter! ^_^ As to your other questions, I think we discovered Kana-chan's this chapter, and if you're familiar with Ouran, you probably know Haruhi's as well...but what about our esteemed hosts, hmm?

Kyouya: The most sensible things to fear are those that pose a potential threat to my physical or mental health, from which I might not escape. *shrugs* Thankfully, I do not come across too many things like that.

Hunny: Waahh! Why are we talking about scary things? I'm scared of the dark!

Mori: *pats Hunny's head*

Hunny: You're lucky, Takashi! You're not scared of anything!

Mori: *shrugs*

Hikaru: Ehh, not a big fan of snakes, personally.

Kaoru: Or things that sting.

Both: We try to avoid them.

Tamaki: Fear not, my comrades! Your fearless leader will protect you from-

Nekozawa: *waves*

Tamaki: YIPE! *hides behind Haruhi*

Laleanen: Well, I think that settles that. Oh, Kyouya, I believe Lollipop-san also wanted to know what you think of ME? This I've got to hear.

Kyouya: *quirks an eyebrow* What I think of _you_, Laleanen-san? Are you sure you want to hear this?

Laleanen: Fire away.

Kyouya: For starters, you update far too slowly. Your readers will lose interest at this rate; many of them have already stated that they have to go back and re-read chapters just so they know what's going on, because it has been so long since you last posted. You also spend far too much time and space on the fan mail section, when in the grand scheme of things, it is utterly irrelevant to the story, and frankly, seems like a shameless plug to get more reviews.

Laleanen: Erk. *looks down at herself painfully, as she is impaled with several sharp cartoon arrows* Ouch.

Kyouys: *adjusts glasses* Your grammar is passable. Imperfect, but passable.

Laleanen: *coughs* Well, let's move on from that, shall we? Kana! Answer your part of the nice reader's question! *winces as she pulls out an arrow from her chest*

Kana: I...uh...all right...*reads question* Eep! *turns bright red* Wh-what would I...have...er, someone...dress up as? *gulps and fidgets nervously* Well...I really liked Highland Games day...the traditional kilts were very...ah...becoming...

Mori: *pretends not to be listening, but is actually carefully memorizing this piece of information*

**From: xxyangxx2006**

I would like to know about the Hosts' favorite memory from their Host Club activities.

Hunny: My favorite memories are eating cake! *smile smile*

Mori: *glances at Kana* Entertaining guests.

Kyouya: *pushes his glasses up, smiling* Making a profit.

Hikaru and Kaoru: Any time we get to dress up Haruhi...*they grin at her, hair curling into devilish horns*

Haruhi: *sweatdrop* Uhhh...my favorite memories are of the times I had peace and quiet...and that was before I met these guys...*eyes them flatly*

Tamaki: But Haruhi-chan! What about the time you cooked a delicious, home-cooked meal for Daddy? Or the time you and Daddy skipped together down the school hallways, hand in hand? Or the time-

Haruhi: None of that actually happened, sempai...

**From: Aqua Cahill**

Questions for the Club and Kana! If they could be any person other then themselves who would they be and why? For Mori: Do you enjoy all this talk about you and Kana?

Kana: I think I would choose to be Jane Goodall. I love the work she has done in raising awareness about the true, gentle nature of gorillas, even though they seem scary and dangerous, and...*looks at Mori for some inexplicable reason* and...uh...living with gorillas would be exciting!

Tamaki: I would like to be Napoleon!

Haruhi: Err...why?

Tamaki: *pouting* I like his hat!

Haruhi: *sighs and rolls her eyes* I don't think I would want to be anybody but myself, but if I could choose to be _like_ someone, it would be by mother...

Hikaru: No one.

Kaoru: We wouldn't change at all.

Both: *shrug*

Mori: *quietly* I would choose to be Rurouni Kenshin.

Hunny: I would be Bun-Bun! *smiles cheerily*

Kyouya: *thoughtfully* I always thought Sun Tzu seemed an interesting person.

Laleanen: Actually, that makes a disturbing amount of sense, Kyouya... *sweatdrop* And uh, Mori, part of that was addressed to you...

Mori: *re-reads it, eyes widening slightly* *coughs* ...Ah. *glances sideways at Kana*

Kana: Wait...what? Did I miss something?

**From: Sunstar Writer**

I have to ask the entire club (and I think this is a relevant question), We know your "types" but what types are you into?

Kyouya: *raises eyebrows* "Type"? I don't have a "type"...

Tamaki: *bows chivalrously* ALL princesses are lovely in their own way, and they are ALL my type. How can I choose between beautiful flowers?

Haruhi: Err...I don't really have a "type", I guess...I never really thought about it much. Probably someone who respects me...and gives me some space...*glares pointedly at Tamaki*

Tamaki: Eep!

Hunny: *taps his chin thoughtfully* Hmmm...Well, I really like a girl who is honest with herself, and with me. It's cute if she blushes a lot, too! *winks playfully*

Mori: *swallows and nods in agreement with Hunny's last statement, glancing at Kana out the corner of his eye*

Hikaru: Uhh...well, I like a girl who's laid back...who I could joke around with...*rubs the back of his neck, looking oddly uncomfortable and trying not to look at Haruhi*

Kaoru: *grins wickedly* I like a girl who can challenge me, but who I can also take care of... *suddenly laughs* Or maybe just you, Hikaru!

Hikaru: *playing along* All we need is each other, Kaoru!

*they fall into each other's arms dramatically*

**From: Sesshomaru's Babydoll**

So great to see an update for this story again. I've missed reading it. As  
always, kana and mori are adorable. And the timing for having kana discover  
haruhis secret was very well thought out I think. As to what element kana  
should be, I'd have to say water. Water is fluid and graceful, but can take  
many shapes and be very deceiving in appearance. It's strong and dangerous yet can be calm and gentle. There is strength to kana that we are slowly seeing in this story and hopefully we'll see more of it. Hope you like my reasoning :)

Laleanen: I love your reasoning so much, I wanted to share your answer with everybody! ^_^ Thank you, Sesshomaru's Babydoll! 3

I also wanted to share this answer:

**From: Guest**

Kana-chan could either be earth or air. I say air because she is easily flustered in many situations and sometimes appears to be fragile. Despite her clumsiness, I think she as a graceful personality. What I mean by that is that she just rolls with the punches. She also always seems to have her head in the clouds. And she also runs like the wind. Earth would be my first choice because she is very down to earth. She doesn't look down on others, is helpful and respectful. She is kind with her maids and staff and has a gift with animals.

Laleanen: Thank you, Guest! Kana would really appreciate you thinking of her as having a graceful personality...she certainly wouldn't choose to describe herself that way. What well thought-out answers! *tears up a little at having such lovely readers*

"Guest" goes on to ask...

Dear Kana,  
If you were to go on a date with someone COUGH COUGH *Mori* COUGH COUGH, how do you imagine it? And I want to know what Flick-chan thinks about Mori?

Kana: I...what? *looks around to make sure Mori isn't listening* Well, I...I guess I always imagined a first date to be something like...g-going for a walk in the springtime, maybe getting an ice cream together, feeding the ducks at a pond...a-and he walks her home...*blush*

Laleanen: Well, you've done half of that. We just need ice cream and some ducks.

Kana: I...I-I WHAT?

Laleanen: *winks*

*Flicks ears prick up at the sound of his name* Chee? *He hears Mori's name, and suddenly scurries around, his ears pricked up happily* Chee! Chee!

Laleanen: And last but not least, I couldn't resist including this little gem...(I love your username by the way. LOVE.)

**From: CreepyStalkerFangirl**

Heres some fan mail for mori. I WUBS YOU MORI!

Mori: *slight blush* *ruffles CreepyStalkerFangirl's hair* Arigato.

* * *

That's all for today, I'm afraid. I tried to make it nice and long for you! And I promise, I will TRY to be better at updating. I'm a bad, bad, bad person, I know (and so does Kyouya, apparently...) But I reiterate my promise: I WILL finish this story. It will not be abandoned. I've worked too long and too hard on it, and if you couldn't tell, things are about to get very interesting...

See you all next time! :D


	22. 22: Yakuza

"Kyon, you had better come see this..." Kana's mother gestured to the television screen in front of her. On the news, two anchors calmly discussed the proposal Ambassador Kasuga was preparing for the upcoming U.N. council, which up until now, they had considered confidential under even the upper levels of security clearance.

Kyon stared hard at the screen, then slowly sat beside his wife on the couch, furnished for them in their rooms at the British Embassy. "Well. Not so secret now, is it?"

Kasuga Anna frowned worriedly. "How will this affect Kana? Surely the other students will see this, and...I can't imagine it would go ignored."

"The Ouran students should be used to things like this, having their families in the public eye. My hope is that it will be commonplace enough that she shouldn't receive more than a passing comment or two..." he sounded more certain than he felt, and ran a large hand through his hair. "Oi. If only there was a way to do this work without it impacting our children. It isn't fair to them."

Anna placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder. "Kana-chan understands, dear. Let's just get this all over with as quickly as possible, so we can go home to her."

Kyon nodded, covering her hand with his, and gracing his wife with what he hoped was a confident smile.

* * *

The host club and their guests spent the next morning busily packing up to return home, so they would all be "fresh" for school on Monday. That is to say, they spent the morning busily watching the hired help pack up their things while they ate one final breakfast in the pavilion, and Tamaki made a rousingly emotional speech about nothing. Kana avoided eye contact with Mori, and found it difficult to maintain a cheerful façade with her fellow tablemates. They noticed, but did not ask, assuming she must still be tired from her heroic rescue the previous day, and instead responded with encouraging smiles and words of admiration.

Despite her efforts, she could not avoid the tall host entirely, and he came to find her in the space of time between breakfast and their departure, just as she was scampering down the path to her tent, trying to escape notice.

"Kana-chan." She heard his deep voice, firm but gentle, as he approached behind her, easily overtaking her with his long stride.

She gulped, stopping but not ready to turn around. "A-ah...Mori-sempai...y-yes?" she glanced at him partway over her shoulder.

He took a step closer. "Are you all right?"

"Uh...yes, I'm fine..."

Mori regarded her silently. She got the feeling he did not believe her, and glanced away abashedly. She wasn't sure she believed herself. _How is it he can tell there's something bothering me?_

"I just...have things on my mind. I need some time to sort them out, is all..." She cringed internally, feeling that this sounded trite and insincere. But it was the best she could manage. She couldn't very well tell him that _he_ was the subject she needed to "sort out".

"Mn." Was his only reply. She stole another peek at him over her shoulder, not trusting herself to face him fully, not when he was clearly so perceptive. She had a terrible fear he would be able to read everything on her face if she looked at him directly. After a long pause, he continued, "...let me know if I can help."

She nodded, trying to give him a grateful smile over her shoulder without really looking at him, then turning away quickly and scurrying down the path again. Too quickly to see his tentatively outstretched hand.

* * *

School the following week was surprisingly uneventful, after the excitement of the "camping" trip. That is, until Kana began seeing evidence of her father's U.N. work being publicized on international news sites and television stations. The classroom whispers, which had all but ceased following the host club's declaration to help her, resumed in force. Nothing overt; the host club's influence extended that far, but it was hard to ignore her father's name on everyone's lips when they thought she was not listening. Everyone's, it seemed, except Tamaki's and Kyouya's. Tamaki had other concerns on his mind.

"But _why_ have you been so long away from us, princess?" he whined petulantly. The bell had already rung, but he seemed perfectly content to sit at his desk and interrogate her.

"I've only been away from the host club for two days, Tamaki-san..."

"And today will make three! Don't you like us anymore, Kana-hime?" he pouted, big eyes glistening with absurd tears. Abruptly, his whole manner changed, and he regarded her with a sly smile. "Or perhaps...you're feeling shy again? I could always send Mori-sempai to-"

"N-no!" she protested, a bit too quickly. Far too quickly.

Tamaki's smile only widened.

Kyouya's voice came from behind him: "How are you doing in history, Kana-hime? I'm sure you'll want to continue to work hard..." He didn't even look up.

_Erk._ He had her there; she had been actively avoiding Mori since the camping trip, which shouldn't have been particularly hard since they were in different classes, but lately he seemed to be everywhere. She saw him on her way to lunch, at the main doors before and after school, even at the drinking fountain nearest her locker between classes. He never approached her, and always seemed to be minding his own business, but it struck her as odd that she had never seen him in the halls so much before. As for the tutoring, she hadn't even allowed herself to think of it. How could she expect to endure a tutoring lesson from him, when she didn't trust herself to look him in the eye?

Tamaki's expression softened, and he leaned toward her, lowering his voice discretely. "Come on, Kana-chan. What happened to the budding confidence?" His brows furrowed with genuine concern. "Did something happen?"

"No...nothing. I just...have a lot on my mind, that's all. I'll-" she swallowed, but continued on, knowing this would be the only thing to appease him, "I'll come back to the host club when I have it all sorted out."

After a moment's pause, Tamaki nodded, smiled, and much to her embarrassment, reached over to ruffle her hair. He and Kyouya stood to leave, slinging their bags over their shoulders. "We look forward to having you back, Kana-chan." Tamaki graced her with a flourishing bow, Kyouya with a more subdued wave, and the two of them left to attend to their hosting duties. Kana was left alone in the classroom.

* * *

She had started staying very late at school, waiting until everyone else had left before venturing out of her classroom, leaving her poor driver to wait an extra thirty minutes or so before she met him out front. She told herself this was because she enjoyed the quiet time to sort through her school notes at the end of the day, but truthfully, she hoped Mori would be gone from the front steps by this time, gone to attend to his hosting duties. She wasn't sure what she would do if she suddenly ran into him.

When she knew she couldn't stall anymore, she packed up her things and made her way out of the classroom. The hallways were empty, and she allowed herself to relax somewhat as she made her way toward the main entrance. Until she turned a corner.

"There you are, Kasuga!" A group of male and female students had gathered in this hallway, leaning casually against both walls, apparently patiently waiting for something. They all shifted when they saw her, eyes glinting eagerly.

_This can't be good. _

She recognized a few of them; yakuza students. She sighed. _I had hoped we were past this._

"Yes. Here I am. And there _you_ are." She said it dryly, hoping a neutral tone and steady walk would entice them to ignore her, as she strode right through the middle of them. It didn't work.

"Whoa, there, 'princess'," one of the girls said, stepping in front of her. "Where are you going so fast? We want to talk."

"Really? Because I can't think of a thing I'd like to talk to you about." Kana turned abruptly, tried heading back the way she had come. One of the taller boys blocked her way.

"Now, now, don't be rude..." he sneered.

Kana sighed again, this time in irritation. "You're the one being rude."

Abruptly, one of the girls pulled back and slapped her across the face. The noise echoed through the hallways. Kana inhaled sharply through her teeth, cringing as reactive tears formed.

"Don't you talk to him like that, yank!" the girl spat.

"Calm down, my dear..." another voice arrived, accompanied by footsteps on the marble floor. Kana blinked through her tears and saw Sendou approaching. "That isn't any way to speak to our friend Kasuga-san..."

"Yes, you have an odd way of making friends..." Kana managed, wincing.

Sendou laughed. "They come on strong, I suppose..." he patted the girl's shoulder affectionately, but she only scowled, taking a step closer to the tall boy. "But they're loyal friends. _Very_ loyal." His voice pitched lower abruptly, somehow making the last part sound like a threat.

"Listen, I can tell you're here to threaten me again, so how about we just get that over with?" Kana said tiredly. "I've made my driver wait long enough already."

"Oh, you take all the fun out of it..." Sendou sighed. "Very well. We're here to give you one last warning. Tell your father to give up this crusade of his-"

"I have no way of contacting him. This is pointl-"

"_Cht!_" Sendou hissed sharply, cutting her off with a warning gesture. "Manners, girl. Your father is a politician; you'd think you could learn to fake them, at least. As I was saying, tell your father that you want him to give up this crusade and come home. That people at school have been making life miserable for you on his account, and you've had enough. After all, this doesn't really involve you. Or, at least, it doesn't need to."

Kana squared her shoulders. "Of course this involves me. My father's work is important; it is my duty as his daughter to support him."

"Then you understand...it is our duty to stop him from interfering in _our_ parents' work," Sendou smiled, but it looked more like a grimace with his tightening jaw muscles. He was losing patience. "As I said, Kasuga, this is your last warning. If we have to speak again, it will be because you are _very_ personally involved." He looked her over in an unpleasant way. "It might not be very comfortable for you." Snapping his fingers, he turned, the other yakuza students shooting Kana dirty looks before following in his wake.

"Everything all right, Miss?"

"...huh? Oh...it's fine."

Her driver was silent for a few moments, glancing at her in his rear-view mirror. She hardly noticed, as she gazed out the window, not even seeing the countryside rolling by as they drove home.

"...are you sure, Miss?"

"What?"

"You're sure you're all right?"

"I..." she shook herself, realizing how she must look to him. She tried to put on a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry, Max. I have a lot on my mind today. But everything is fine."

He frowned slightly, but did not ask her again, and neither of them spoke for the remainder of the drive, until they pulled up to her home and he got out to open her door. She took his proffered hand with a thoughtful frown, and looked up at him. "Actually, why don't you take a paid vacation tomorrow?"

"Miss...you really shouldn't keep doing this..."

Kana shook her head. "I've decided I want to walk to school again tomorrow. I have a lot to think about, and the extra time will do me good."

Max rubbed the back of his head. "But your father..."

Kana crossed her arms. "Your daughter is still home recovering from her concussion, right? You could spend some time with her..."

Max's shoulders slumped in resignation, and he gave her a wry smile. "That's not really fair, Miss. All right. But I insist on being on-call...just in case you need me."

Kana nodded, smiling back. "Deal." _In fact, I think I'll just tell everyone to take a paid vacation tomorrow. That way I won't have maids bothering me with questions after school...it will be quiet, and maybe I can have some time to think._ She sighed. _Maybe I'll even think about doing homework._

* * *

Mori had just turned to go back inside, back to the host club, where he was already late, when a group of yakuza students streamed out the big double doors, every one of them looking as if they'd eaten something sour. None of them spoke, but gave each other curt nods as they parted ways, each heading for their respective cars that awaited them in the front drive.

_Odd._

One of them in particular caught Mori's eye, the only one whose name Mori knew: Sendou. He had never caught his first name. Of course, Sendou would have no reason to be friendly enough with Mori to provide it. It was challenging to be on a first-name basis with someone who had beaten up your lackeys. Mori frowned as he recalled the trouble Sendou's family had made for Kasanoda-san, just because one of their sons had seen fit to join Kasanoda's household as a loyal manservant. Mori certainly didn't blame him for it; Kasanoda was a good boss, kind and fair, and the older Sendou had owed him a debt of honor. Mori's frown deepened. Sendou the younger dishonored his brother by refusing to acknowledge the debt or the chosen method of payment. A gathering of yakuza students with Sendou at its head could only mean more trouble.

As Mori silently regarded them, Sendou seemed to feel his gaze and turned to give him a hard look. Mori did not look away, and did not change his expression, even as Sendou's look darkened. Sendou eventually turned away first, shrugging his shoulders and sliding into the black town car that had arrived to pick him up. Mori sighed.

_I'll talk to the others about it._

* * *

The maids were perplexed at her decision, but none of them argued when Kana announced that they were all to have a paid day off. They finished their duties, some staying longer than was strictly necessary, tidying up this and that, making sure she had ready-to-eat breakfast and dinner available, and had all their home numbers in case she needed an extra hand. Kana nodded politely and thanked them many times; maids were very difficult to get rid of, once they were convinced you needed them. _It'll be good for them to do something other than wait on _me _all day._

When they finally did leave for the night, Kana settled into one of their big plush chairs, full of good intentions to read the history book in her hand. She even planned to time herself, using her cell phone to keep track. She was determined to read for at least an hour...perhaps if some of the information stuck, she wouldn't have to bother Mori again about tutoring. She glanced at the time.

It wasn't as late as she thought. _Maybe..._ She knew it was a long shot, but her parents' numbers were in her phone. _They're not going to answer. _She reminded herself. But somehow...she just wanted to try it. She picked up the phone, called her Dad, and listened to it ring eight times before she gave up and tried her mother's number. No answer.

_Maybe...just one more time. _Still no answer.

No one answered all night.

* * *

After all their guests had gone, Tamaki and the other hosts were busy packing up for the day. Mori sat at his place by the window, but he did not look out at the world below; instead, he gazed down at his hands, frowning slightly. Tamaki had noticed he seemed quiet today. Well...quieter.

"Is everything all right, Mori-sempai?" he asked, placing a concerned hand on his friend's shoulder. He had no sooner said it than Hunny appeared at his side, frowning up at Mori.

"You've been like this since club started, Takashi! What's going on?"

Noticing the commotion, the other hosts started gathering around the three of them. Kaoru hesitated. "Wait...you're not tired, are you, Mori?"

Eyes widening, everyone except Hunny took a step backward. Mori behaved...strangely...when he was sleepy.

Mori ran a large hand through his hair. "No."

His friends relaxed.

"Then what is it?" Haruhi asked.

Mori sighed, finally looking around at everyone. "Sendou." He said it as if that explained everything.

Kyouya's eyebrows shot up; he had been standing disinterestedly in the back before, and now he walked up to Mori, eyes sharp. "You mean the yakuza student? What about him?"

Mori nodded. "He met with a group of his cronies after school. It means trouble."

Kyouya nodded, scratching some notes on his clipboard before tucking it under his arm and sighing heavily. "Yes, it does."

The other hosts looked between Mori and Kyouya, bewildered. Tamaki frowned, sensing something serious going on, to which he was not privy. "Kyouya...what's this about?"

Kyouya drummed his fingers irritably against the clipboard. "I had hoped Kasuga-chan would eventually speak up about this on her own, but...it seems the danger has increased. Very well. The yakuza have had their eye on Kasuga, in fact, her entire family, for some time. Tamaki, you remember when we ran into those louts threatening her, yes?"

Mori's eyes glittered dangerously at this.

Tamaki paled. "I knew...they were bothering her. I thought it was related somehow to Ayanokoji."

Kyouya shook his head. "This is an entirely different problem. Ayanokoji we can handle easily. The yakuza are far more organized, and motivated. And it's not just the students...the yakuza families have every reason to bear a grudge against Kasuga Kyon, and by extension, his daughter." He sighed again. "I'm afraid they mean to try to use her as political leverage, somehow...make her life miserable enough, and her father might call off his U.N. crusade." Kyouya shrugged. "That's most likely their plan. Unfortunately for them, I think Kasuga-chan is proving more stubborn than they expected."

"Is she...in danger?" Mori's asked slowly. Hunny reached over to pat his hand, which he had not realized he was clenching so hard that his veins stood out. He took a deep breath.

"Well...that's relative. They can't harm her _too_ much; they want to influence Kasuga, not infuriate him. It's a delicate balance."

"Doesn't she have security? Bodyguards or something?" Hikaru asked irritably.

Kyouya hesitated. "I...have some information that says she has an undercover guard, yes..."

Haruhi frowned. "...but?"

"There was something strange about it. The system was too easy to hack into, like someone had already taken down some firewalls, and set up dummies in their place."

"I always knew you were a hacker..." Kaoru muttered. Kyouya ignored him.

"The point is, someone may have falsified the data..."

Mori stood up. "Why haven't you brought this up before now?" Hunny patted his arm again, but this time, Mori didn't notice.

The others took half-steps back, while Kyouya regarded the tall senior with a calm, half-lidded stare. "I didn't have enough information to be certain."

"If you even _suspected_...you should have..." Mori took a step forward.

Kyouya remained unmoved. "...what? Frightened her more than she already was? Made her defensive, so she refused help entirely? Point an accusing finger at some of the most powerful and dangerous families in Japan before having any concrete evidence, and drag Kana-chan into the foray? If I was wrong, and she wasn't being targeted by them, drawing attention to her would have made it happen!" His voice rose slightly as he spoke.

Each point struck Mori like a blow, and he shakily sat back down, slumping against the wall.

There was a long silence.

"...Sorry." Mori's voice was so low they could barely hear it.

Hunny frowned at Kyouya. "Oi. You don't have to be so mean, Kyo-chan!"

Kyouya sighed. "It was necessary. Mori-sempai, I will see if my men can find some kind of concrete evidence that will allow us to legitimately go after Sendou. Until then...saying too much will only harm Kasuga-chan, not help her."

Mori nodded silently, not looking up.

Tamaki joined Hunny beside him, clasping his shoulders in a reassuring way. "C'mon, Mori-sempai. Kana-chan will be all right; we'll just keep a closer eye on her, okay?"

Mori nodded again.

"Takashi, let's go home for tonight. I'll feed you some cake, and you'll feel better." Hunny tugged at Mori's sleeve anxiously.

"...Ah." Mori allowed Hunny to lead him to the car they were sharing today, and the rest of the host club dispersed, murmuring awkward encouragements. Mori tried to acknowledge them, it was the polite thing to do, but all the while he wondered, _How can I help keep her safe?_

_She _has _to be safe._

* * *

__END OF CHAPTER.

READER QUESTIONS:

From: SharpPointyThings

"Hello, these questions are for all of you including the author whose name I cannot spell. What is your favorite dinosaur and why? What is your favorite kind of book to read? What is your favorite sharp, pointy thing? For Flick: What is your opinion of the hosts? Also, I love you all and this story!"

Laleanen: Oh my goodness! Questions for me! And a lot of questions you have, too! Bwahaha, I shall forever be the author with the unpronounceable username! But seriously...that's a lot of questions, and so I think I might need to consolidate them into just a handful of hosts per answer, rather than having everybody answer every question.

Kyouya: You have my thanks, Laleanen-san.

Laleanen: Yes, well, don't think you're getting off the hook or anything! Why don't you answer the first question, Kyouya, since you were the first to speak up?

Kyouya: *grumble* I'd rather answer the book question, but... *sighs resignedly* I suppose I'd have to say raptors. Particularly the Deinonychus, if you want specifics. They've been speculated to be the smartest of the dinosaurs.

Laleanen: My favorite dinosaur is probably a triceratops...because I grew up watching the original Land Before Time, and Cera was my favorite (looking back, I'm not really sure why, but there you go...) Hmm...let's have the twins answer the book question.

Hikaru: What?

Kaoru: Why? That question is booooring.

Hikaru: Yeah, we don't like to read much.

Laleanen: Well, you must read some, because you get good grades in school...

Hikaru: *shrugs* Getting good grades benefits us.

Kaoru: We do like comics.

Hikaru: *grins* Comics are great!

Both: Comics! That's our answer.

Laleanen: *sweatdrop* Well, _my _favorite type of book to read is a good fantasy novel (the Lord of the Rings is my all-time favorite! My username is Elvish in case anyone was wondering...) . And unlike the twins, I think books are great! I love books! The next question is about sharp, pointy things. Let's just have the rest of you answer that one.

Hunny: *bouncing* Shuriken! Bunny-shaped ones!

Mori: Katana.

Haruhi: *taps her cheek* Probably a pen-knife. That way I have something to write with, and open envelopes, or packaging...they're very handy, actually.

Tamaki: A _greatsword_! With its mighty blade, I shall defend my princess to the death! *glances conspicuously at Haruhi*

Kana: Uhh...I try to stay away from most pointy things...but Swiss army knives are nice.

Laleanen: I like daggers, personally. I always play dual-wielding rogues whenever I can choose that in a video game. They're speedy, deadly, and give you good control. *cough* Not that I've put much thought into this, of course...And the last question is for Flick! What is your opinion of the hosts?

Flick: Chee! *he squints his big black eyes at the hosts critically* Chee! Chee! *he bounds up to Mori excitedly, and rubs against his legs*

Laleanen: Well, he seems to like Mori, at least. That's what's most important, isn't it, Kana?

Kana: Eh? Wait, I...

From: LittleWonders (Guest)

"It might sound weird, but you and Kyouya would make a great couple, I think!(Lela-san and Kyouya, I mean!)"

Laleanen: *spews coffee* First I get my own questions, now you're _shipping_ me with characters? I-I'm not sure how to feel about this...my IRL boyfriend thought this was hilarious, by the way, because he has been compared to Kyouya by people we know that have read the manga...given that, I really don't mind being shipped with Kyouya. Though I think it's funny that you said this just after he berated me for all my faults last chapter...

Kyouya: It's a classic rivalmance, Laleanen-san. We constantly go at each other's throats, but enjoy it a little too much, so there must be underlying sexual tension. Very basic plot fodder.

Laleanen: I don't hear you opposing this idea. Are you sick?

Kyouya: It may be of some benefit to me to have your readers assume a romantic entanglement between myself and the author. *evil grin* After all, what more powerful match could I hope to make?

Laleanen: Watch it, or I'll write a oneshot about you and a nice girl named Mary Sue.

Kyouya: I have my own romantic interests residing in other author's stories. I will retreat there.

Lalenan: I thought you disliked being the subject of fanfiction romances?

Kyouya: Well...not all of them. Some of them are...interesting. Not at all unpleasant, at times. But like I've said before, this is all on my own terms. I will not be "set up" with anyone.

Laleanen: Hmph. We'll see about that. LittleWonders has more questions...

"QUESTIONS:  
What does pome think of Kana?"

_Pome opens one lazy eye, looking at Kana apathetically. He gives a little snort, rolls over, and goes back to sleep._

Laleanen: Well...I interpret that as "she's okay...but I hope she doesn't take away Daddy (Mori)."

"What does the rest of the host club think of Kana and Lela-san?"

Laleanen: Well...we already know what Mori thinks of Kana...and actually, what Kyouya thinks of me...*gives Kyouya a dry look*

Mori: ...what?

Kyouya: *looks back*

Laleanen: ...so let's move on to the rest of the host club!

Haruhi: Well...I like Kana-chan. She's a sweet girl. *smiles warmly* I'm really inspired by her way with animals. And Laleanen-san...*frowns slightly*...sometimes I think you're a little too mean to Kana-chan!

Laleanen" Er-

Tamaki: Yes, Laleanen-san. You should give the poor princess a break once in awhile. What about a time chapter where Mori gives her a foot rub?

Kana: *blushes spectacularly* Ah-ah-TAMAKI!

Mori: *worried frown* Do your feet hurt, Kana-chan?

Kana: O.O

Laleanen: *coughs* Okay. So I'm a little mean, sometimes.

Kaoru: *I* appreciate you, Lala-chan...

Hikaru: Yeah, I think we're kindred spirits! *evil grin*

Laleanen: Uhh...oh dear. Maybe I should let up a little bit.

Hunny: *tugs on Laleanen's sleeve* But it's important for characters to go through trials that help them grow as people! I think Lala-chan tries her best to do that, right?

Laleanen: R-right, Hunny! That's exactly it! I never make characters go through trials for my own amusement! N-never...ha ha...

Hunny: Haha! You're funny, Lala-chan! Oh oh oh! And I really, really like Kana-chan! She's so cute and nice, and she likes cake!

Laleanen: Th-there you have it, folks. Let's move on to LittleWonders' next question while I go and ponder my moral principals...

"Kyouya, what is your type, or at least what do you like in a girl? My sister Aki loves you! Same question for Hunny!"

Kyouya: *looks up at LittleWonders over his glasses* What do I like in a girl? Well, intelligence, certainly. Someone who brings out the best in me, who will help me succeed in life. *he smiles, slowly* ...Do tell your sister Aki hello from me.

Hunny: I like a girl who can be her true self around me, and who shares her feelings! It's important that we can get to know each other. It's okay if she has a dark sense of humor, too! *he smiles cheerily, which is a little creepy, given his statement*

Laleanen: Sorry I couldn't fully answer all your questions, LittleWonders! I try to keep this section from getting longer than the chapter, and sometimes I'm worried I go on too long, so I have to summarize a bit...but thank you for asking so many! I like having lots to pick from...

From: Totally not in your bed

I also have a question, though it's directed to basically the whole of the club. If each of you were locked in a room, who would you choose to share it with and why?

Hikaru: Kaoru and I would choose each other.

Kaoru: Obviously.

Tamaki: Haruhi and I pick each other! She wants to be with her Daddy!

Haruhi: Hold on, stop making decisions for other people! The question didn't even say this had to be someone in the host club, right?

Tamaki: W-well not technically, b-but-!

Haruhi: Then I would choose to share it with my mother, so I could ask her all the things I've always wanted to, and...*she sighs heavily* Just...so we could talk for awhile.

*Everyone, including Laleanen, is taken aback by this serious answer*

Laleanen: Er...maybe we should move on to the next question...I don't think I can follow that...

From: Sunprincessmargie

This is for all hosts minus Haruhi: what is your ideal girlfriend? And this one is for Mori how would your ideal first date go?

Laleanen: Hunny and Kyouya basically just answered this a few questions ago *points up*, so let's go ahead and let the other hosts answer...

Hikaru: My idea girlfriend? *very pointedly does NOT look at Haruhi* Well, of course she'd have to be someone that got along with Kaoru and I...not someone boring. She'd have to make us laugh.

Kaoru: She'd have to be able to take a joke...and she'd need to be smart.

Hikaru: Really smart! *continues not looking at Haruhi*

Mori: Ah...someone...kind...*glances at Kana*...cute...good with animals...And I'd like to go for a walk. *thinks for a moment* ...under the stars.

Tamaki: *blushes and looks at Haruhi* Uhh...well, I...erk.

Haruhi: *is completely oblivious, as usual*

I think I need to end it here, because like I said, I tend to prattle on, and I keep worrying this section is going to be longer than the chapter itself! *sweatdrop*

I'll share with you guys: my goal is to have finished this story by Christmas. We're actually getting close to the climactic chapters...there are between 4-6 chapters until the end! Thank you all for sticking with this story, and welcome, those of you who are just picking it up! Your reviews mean a lot to me. See you at the next update!


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